Finding Love
by PsychoGeek
Summary: Riley Fallon and Don Flack are partners, but their relationship is slowly turning into something more... Will they be able to handle it, or will it clash with their work? Flack/OC, season 7-era, rated T for violence.
1. Making A Bet

**I know it's short, but this is sort of an introduction chapter. :) I wanted to test the waters, so to speak, and see how readers would react. **

**This fic starts in the season 7 era, and the flashbacks will be in season 6. :) I think that Riley came on as Flack's partner shortly after his season 6 breakdown...**

**Riley's faceclaim is Sandra Bullock. :) I love Sandra as an actress and she seemed perfect for how I picture Riley. :) I've got a link on my profile to a nice faceclaim picture of Sandra Bullock. :D  
**

* * *

"Care to make a little bet, Riley?" Flack grinned at his partner as he pulled on his bulletproof vest.

"What kinda bet?" Riley returned the grin as she checked her Glock.

Riley Fallon had been partners with Don Flack for almost two years; they had been placed together shortly after Flack had begun recovering from Jess' death.

"First one to get their cuffs on this guy," Flack began, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "Get to choose where we get dinner. And the loser has to pay..."

"Sounds good," Riley replied as she pulled her brown hair back into a ponytail, allowing a few strands to brush the sides of her face.

"I'll even give you a head start," Flack said, the smirk fully spread across his face. "Considering the size difference, you know; he's pretty big..."

Riley gave Flack a playful shove and rolled her eyes.

Riley was just six inches shorter than Flack, with an athletic build, but he enjoyed teasing her about her size. Others could see their teasing as just friendly banter, but Flack felt a deep connection to Riley and the teasing was how they showed it. While he knew she could handle herself, he still found himself feeling protective when they were preparing to chase down a suspect.

"Ready, detectives?" the SWAT leader asked.

Riley's brown eyes were serious as she met Flack's ice-blue eyes. They re-checked their weapons and entered the apartment building.

* * *

"You said the first one to get their cuffs on the guy," Riley said with a frown. "Nothing about 'helping'..."

"I'm just saying." Flack held a hand up in mock surrender. "You never would've cuffed the guy if he hadn't tripped over me..."

The two detectives had successfully arrested the suspect and were now arguing in the squad car. Flack was driving, the suspect was in the back, and Riley was turned in the seat to face Flack.

"So?" Riley raised an eyebrow. "I cuffed him, so I won."

"Technically, I took him down."

"_Technically_, you got in the way and he knocked you down," Riley retorted. "And then he tripped, so I got him."

"She won, man..." A voice came from the backseat.

"Stay out of this," Flack said. "This doesn't concern you, anyway."

"Hey, you were betting on me," the man continued. "So it does concern me. And she got me, not you..."

"Oh, shut up..." Flack scowled.

"Can't beat eyewitness testimony," Riley teased. "I think I'd like some Chinese or maybe Italian. Don't worry; I'll go easy on your wallet..."

Flack mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?" Riley grinned.

"I said...nuts..."

Flack scowled and mumbled the whole way back to the precinct.

* * *

**So what did you think? Want to read more? I've got some flashbacks written to kinda show how Flack and Riley first met and how they became partners... I was thinking of doing a couple of flashback chapters toward the beginning of this fic. Anyone interested? :)  
**

**Kristy :3**


	2. Flashback--Your New Partner

**This is basically a flashback chapter showing when Don and Riley first met and became partners... :) Thank you to _Torchwood Cardiff _and _IheartDonF _(I heart him, too... ;) ) for reviewing and thank you to those that have followed and favorited so far. :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Flack _*makes sad face*_ or anything you might recognize. All I own is my OC, and even she's starting to take on a mind of her own. ;P**

* * *

Don Flack studied the open file that was spread out on his desk. He looked away from the file every couple minutes to glance at the empty desk next to his. He was supposed to get a new partner today, but he wasn't sure when he would arrive. He was trying to sort out a couple of the papers when someone walked up to his desk.

"Don?"

Flack looked up at his boss, Commissioner Bortelli. Bortelli was not exactly what you'd call a small man, and he knew it. With an ever-growing pot belly and receding hairline, he often joked that he was the 'city's fattest'. The men under him all seemed to respect the fact that Bortelli could make fun of himself and not seem to care.

"Your new partner's here," Bortelli said. "Detective Fallon just transferred over today. She's coming in now..."

"'She'...?" Flack looked in the direction that Bortelli indicated and felt his breath catch.

Riley Fallon walked toward the empty desk in long strides. Her brown hair was clipped back and hung down to the middle of her back in soft waves. She gave Bortelli a confident smile as she set her knapsack on the desk.

"Detective Fallon," Bortelli held his hand out.

"Sir," Riley shook his hand.

"This is your new partner-" Bortelli gestured to Flack. "Detective Don Flack. Flack, this is Detective Riley Fallon."

"Nice to meet you," Riley said, holding her hand out

"Nice to meet you, too," Flack replied as he shook her hand.

Bortelli looked over the detectives and nodded. He walked away, leaving Flack and Riley alone.

Flack looked at Riley. Bortelli had told him several times that he would be getting a new partner, but he never mentioned that it would be a female detective. Not that Flack minded, but it was still a slight shock.

"Something wrong, Flack?" Riley asked.

"Uh...no, why?"

"You're still shaking my hand..."

Flack jumped slightly when he realized Riley was right: he was still holding her hand. He pulled his hand back quickly and felt his ears start to turn red. Riley's brown eyes softened as she searched Flack's bright blue eyes.

"Sorry," Flack muttered. "I just wasn't expecting you to be..." he trailed off, unsure how to say what he was thinking.

"Female?" Riley grinned. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no, of course not." Flack returned the grin. "Fallon? That's an interesting name..."

"Yep, it is," Riley replied. "Although the 'Jimmy Fallon' comments get a little annoying."

"I bet..." Flack agreed.

Riley nodded slightly and leaned against her desk. The two detectives looked at each other for a few silent moments, before Riley cleared her throat.

"This probably isn't the best time to say this," she said slowly. "But I want to...get it off my chest, I guess. Okay?"

"Shoot," Flack said with a nod.

"I was pretty good friends with Jess," Riley began. "In fact, we worked together before she got transferred..."

Flack felt his heart twinge at the mention of Det. Angell. He was healing from the loss, but it still hurt sometimes when he thought of her.

"We liked to hang out on the weekends, sometimes," Riley continued. "You know, go shopping and all that. She and I would get so close to getting in trouble, sometimes."

Riley pulled out her phone and scrolled through some photos before showing one to Flack.

The photo was of Riley and Jess posing together. They were both wearing black fedoras, and had their sunglasses perched on the tips of theirs noses, so they could peek over them at the camera. Both detectives were sticking their tongues out at the camera.

"We took that one day, then almost got thrown out of the store by an over-eager mall cop..." Riley chuckled at the memory. "Jess picked up her purse and her badge fell out. She claimed it was an accident, but I think she dropped it on purpose..."

"Knowing her, it was probably on purpose." Flack nodded.

"Anyway, the mall-cop almost had a heart attack. He kept stammering that he didn't realize he was dealing with his 'co-workers' and not to 'report him'. We were barely able to get out of the store before we start laughing."

Flack grinned. It sounded just like something Jess would do...

"Jess was great," Riley said. "You probably think I'm weird for just randomly mentioning that, when we barely know each other..."

"Not weird," Flack shook his head. "It just proves we've got stuff in common..."

"Okay..." Riley nodded. "Um, anyway...I'll get my stuff moved into my desk by the end of the day."

"All right," Flack replied. "If you need anything, just ask."

"I will."

* * *

**What did you think? Love it? Like it? Hate it? Leave a review and let me know... :) **

**So, what you would like next? I have a 'dinner' chapter written, or I could do another flashback... :) I've got quite a few different scenes written; I just have to get them in a readable order... xD  
**

**Kristy :3**


	3. Pay Up

**Next chapter! This isn't flashback, and more of a continuation of the first chapter. :) I think I'll have the next chapter be another flashback, then I'll start doing regular chapters.**

**Thanks for the review_, Torchwood Cardiff_! :D**

**Disclaimer: Same as before, I only own Riley. And she's being rebellious right now...**

* * *

"So, where do you want to eat?" Flack asked as he and Riley walked out of the precinct.

"Benny's Bar and Grill, over on 8th," she replied with a grin. "Tonight's pizza night."

"Pizza? Sounds good."

They walked into the garage and got in Flack's car. Flack waited until they had safely pulled out onto the street before he began to talk.

"Tomorrow's Friday," he said. "Still on for basketball?"

For the past few months, Riley and Flack had been going to an indoor gym every Friday, after work. They usually played a couple of games of one-on-one basketball, but every once in a while, they would just work out.

"Why not?" Riley smiled as she looked out the window.

"I don't plan on letting you beat me for the second day in a row..." Flack smirked. "I'll get you home after, same as usual."

"All right."

* * *

Flack and Riley walked into Benny's. The bar was small and crowded, and the air smelled of stale alcohol and fresh pizza. A couple of worn pool tables were in the corner, with several customers arguing over a game. The lights were dim and Flack placed his hand on Riley's back as he guided her to a booth. She slid in and he sat across from her. After a minute, a waitress came to take their order.

"We'll have a large pizza," Flack said. "Cheese, pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, mushrooms and onions."

"And extra cheese," Riley added.

"Alrighty," the waitress said as she scribbled in her notepad. "And to drink?"

"Couple of beers," Flack glanced at Riley, who nodded her approval.

"I'll have your drinks out in just a minute."

The waitress closed her notepad and scurried away. True to her word, she returned less than a minute later with a tray. She set a bottle in front of Flack and one in front of Riley, then moved to another booth.

Riley took a drink and Flack ran his finger around the rim of his bottle.

"We need to get together with Mac and his team again," Flack said as he took a sip. "Meet them here some night after work."

"That would be fun," Riley replied. "I'm planning on a movie night sometime next week, at my apartment."

"Movie night?" Flack leaned forward, his eyes wide and a teasing smile on his face. "Can I come?"

"Hm..." Riley pretended to be in thought. "Maybe."

"I'll accept that as yes," Flack said. "Or I could just be a party-crasher..."

"Fine, you can come," Riley sighed loudly before grinning at Flack. "I want to invite Mac, Danny and Lindsay, Sheldon, Jo, and Sid. Oh, and Christine! And if Sheldon and Adam want to bring a friend, they can."

"What about me? Can I bring a friend?"

"You have friends? Amazing..."

"Ouch," Flack clutched his chest. "That was uncalled for."

Riley rolled her eyes and reached across the table to shove Flack.

"Oh, the abuse!" he cried.

"Oh, grow up!" Riley retorted.

"Just for that, I'm not bringing a friend," Flack pretended to pout. "You'll just have to put up with me."

Riley started to respond, but the waitress walked up and set a pizza on the table. Flack grinned and picked up a slice. He began to eat as Riley sandwiched a piece and took several large bites. Within moments, the piece had disappeared and Riley reached for another.

"You act like you haven't eaten in a week," Flack remarked.

"I like pizza," Riley replied with a shrug.

Flack smiled as he finished his slice. He reached for another but stopped when he saw Riley grabbing another slice.

"Slow down!" Flack took a slice. "You're going to choke or something..."

"Fine, mom..." Riley rolled her eyes.

* * *

**Movie night...that could make a fun chapter... xD**

**As I always say, don't forget to review and feel free to let me know if you see any errors... :)**

**Kristy :3  
**


	4. Flashback--Talk It Out

**This is the last flashback chapter for a while. I felt that this would be necessary, to show how Riley and Flack's relationship had progressed. This chapter takes place probably late-season 6 era, when Flack's getting himself back on track. :)**

**Thanks to e_mmy72 _and _Torchwood Cardiff _for reviewing! I really appreciate that fact that people are reading this fic... :)  
**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Flack...darn it. :P But Riley is mine, all mine. x)**

* * *

Riley poured potato chips into a bowl and set it on the tray. She and Flack were having a movie night, so she was preparing the snacks. She pulled some cans of Coke out of the fridge and placed them on the tray.

"Popcorn!" she exclaimed.

Riley dug through her cupboards until she found a couple of bags of microwaveable popcorn. She looked for an expiration date, and finding none, she shrugged and opened the package.

"Never heard of anyone dying from old popcorn..." she muttered as she started the microwave.

* * *

In the living room, Flack was digging through Riley's DVD shelves. He bumped the shelf and a blank disc fell the to floor.

"What's that..." he muttered as he picked it up.

Flack put the disc in the DVD player and pressed Play. The screen flickered to life and Flack moved to the couch. His jaw dropped and he gasped softly as he watched the screen.

Jess's image slowly came into focus, and Flack could see from the background that she was in Riley's apartment. She was grinning at the camera as she walked across the living room. She was halfway across when she slipped and fell backwards. She began to laugh and Flack heard Riley's laugh coming from behind the camera.

"_You're supposed to strut,_" Riley's voice could be heard as a hand reached to help Jess up. "_Not fall on your butt..._"

"_Let's see you strut in heels,_" Jess teased. "_And on a funky carpet..._"

"_Not my turn yet,_" Riley replied. "_And my carpet is not funky. It's unique..._"

The camera turned and Riley's face came into view. Jess moved closer to get into the camera's view and Riley wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The two young women grinned at the camera before making silly faces.

"_We're models,_" Jess said.

"_Well...maybe someday,_" Riley added.

"Where'd you find that?" Flack heard Riley's voice, but this time, it came from the kitchen doorway.

He switched off the DVD and turned to see Riley standing there, holding a tray.

"I-I'm sorry," Flack said. "I was looking through your DVD's and it fell onto the floor. I didn't know what it was."

"It's okay," Riley replied as she set the tray down. "I'd almost forgotten I have that..."

"When'd you make it?" Flack asked as Riley sat down beside him.

"Can't remember the exact date," she said. "But it was after she transferred. We were hanging out and decided to be goofy. We wore about the same size clothes, so we were trying on some of my clothes. Just girl stuff."

Flack smiled slightly. He felt a pang in his heart at the sudden reminder of Jess. He was still trying to fully process the fact that she was gone, out of his life as quick as a flame being snuffed out.

Riley felt her eyes burning as tears threatened to form. She hadn't been as close to Jess as Don had, but the loss still shook her. When Jess had been killed in the line of duty, Riley had not only lost a fellow detective, but a good friend.

"I still can't believe she's gone..." Riley sighed.

"Me, neither," Flack replied, his tone serious.

"I miss her. I look at those videos we used to make and I just...I wish she was still here, you know? I mean, she was..." Riley's voice trailed off as she turned away.

"I just wish I could have told her how I felt," the blue-eyed man said with a sigh. "I never said how I felt."

Riley looked at Flack. He met the brunette's teary gaze with one of his own.

"I had so many chances-" Flack voice choked up. "-But I never did. It wouldn't have been so hard; I don't know what I was afraid of!"

"It's okay," Riley said softly. "I'm sure she knew."

"I-I just..." A tear rolled down Flack's cheek as he looked toward the floor.

Riley pulled Flack into a hug and he buried his face in her shoulder. He began to sob and his arms tightened around Riley. Tears stung her eyes as she ran a hand through his hair and he clung to her.

"I know, Don..." she murmured. "I know..."

"I'm sorry..." the detective muttered into her shoulder.

He slowly pulled away and looked at Riley. They were both red-eyed from crying, and Flack was still shaking. Riley took Flack's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry," he repeated with a shake of his head. "I just-when I saw Jess on that video, it brought back so many memories."

"You're still healing," Riley said. "It's hard, I know. But I also know you're strong."

Flack managed a smile as he looked at Riley's hand still holding his.

Their relationship had changed so much, and it still seemed to be changing. Deep down, Flack knew that Jess would want him to be happy. And he was sure that she would approve of Riley. If their relationship continued down the path it seemed to be taking.

"Maybe we'd better watch a comedy," he said slowly. "I don't think either of us could handle any more heavy emotion..."

"You're probably right..." Riley nodded.

"Thanks," Flack said. "For being there."

"I'll always be there for you," Riley replied with a small smile. "If you ever need to talk, as they say, 'you have my number'..."

Riley gave Flack a gentle hug. He cupped her cheek and brushed the tears out of her eyes with his thumb.

"Same goes for you." Flack's ice-blue eyes bored into Riley's. "Anytime."

* * *

**Okay, no more emotion chapters like that for a while... I don't like writing them... :( Next couple chapters should be nice and light, though. :D**

**If you spot any errors, let me know. And don't forget to review! :)**

**Kristy :3**


	5. A Normal Game

**This chapter was kinda fun to write, but the little twist toward the end was hard to work in... :/**

**Thank you to _emmy72 _and _Torchwood Cardiff _for the reviews! You guys keep me going! xD**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Flack (what am I doing wrong here? ;D) or anything else that is CSI:NY. All I own is Riley. :)**

* * *

Riley jogged down the length of the basketball court, dribbling the ball between both hands. Flack had to stay at the precinct for a few minutes, so she had beaten him to the gym. She was still wearing her jeans and sneakers, but she had changed into a simple green t-shirt.

Riley loved to visit an indoor gym when she had time, or when she needed to think. She had always loved sports ever since she was young. Hockey, baseball, basketball, football...she loved them all.

Riley stopped at the 3-point line and lined up her shot. She took the shot and the ball sailed through the net with a 'swish!'. Riley took a moment to catch her breath as the ball bounced down the court. The only sounds were her breathing and the fading sound of the ball, until a familiar voice echoed through the court.

"I believe you were carrying..."

"Hey, Flack," Riley said, without turning around.

"Why so formal?" he replied. Riley could hear the grin in his voice. "And you ignore me, too..."

Riley turned to see Flack walking toward her, a lopsided-grin on his face. He had changed from his work suit into a NYPD t-shirt, blue sweats, and sneakers.

"You're late," Riley remarked, a teasing smile on her face.

"15 minutes," Flack replied. "It was the traffic."

"I bet."

"I'm telling the truth," Flack said, his face suddenly sincere. "Scouts honor."

Riley merely shook her head and grinned, before jogging after the basketball. She heard Flack's footsteps behind her and an idea hit her. She scooped up the ball and paused for a moment.

"Ready to play?" Riley asked.

"Bring it on," Flack replied.

"Okay, your ball, then."

Before Flack could respond, Riley whirled and threw the ball at him. Flack caught it partly with his hands, and partly with the pit of his stomach.

"That was not fair..." he muttered.

"Nope, it wasn't." Riley shrugged.

"Oh, you'll regret that..." Don smirked and jogged toward the hoop.

Riley grinned and took off after him. She caught up with him and moved to block his shot. He gave her a hard nudge, sending her sprawling on the floor. He grinned and easily made the shot.

"Foul!" Riley called as she sat up.

"Of course," Flack retorted as he helped her to her feet.

The two detectives continued to play a rough game of basketball, filled with the occasional nudge, elbow, knee and several instances of tripping.

* * *

After an hour, the two detectives had decided to call it quits.

"You play pretty good," Flack said as they walked to the locker room.

"So do you," Riley replied.

They walked in and Riley moved to her backpack. She pulled out a water bottle and drained it halfway before tossing it to Flack. He caught it and finished it off.

"You need to change?" he asked.

"Hm...no," she replied. "You?"

"Nope, I'm just going home. Man, I'm sweating, though..."

Flack pulled the edge of his shirt up to wipe his face. He heard Riley gasp and instantly realized why. When he pulled up his shirt, it revealed his toned stomach, which wasn't so bad. But it also showed the nasty scar on his side...

He'd always meant to tell her about the bomb, but never found the right time. They'd been partners for almost two years, and he never told her. Flack felt that he could tell Riley anything; they'd talked more than once about Jess, his past, and her past. But he still had never told her about the blast...

"When did you get that?" Riley asked as she slowly approached him.

"Just over five years ago," he replied. "I was in a building when a bomb went off. Tore my insides up, and it's only because of Mac that I'm alive."

"Oh, my..." she winced.

"It's not too bad." Flack shrugged. "It can't even feel it, anymore."

"Can I...?"

Flack nodded and Riley leaned down to examine the pale scar. She brushed her fingertips over the raised scar tissue and felt him shiver. The brunette instinctively pulled her hand away.

"Sorry," she said.

"It's not you," he replied. "I'm just not used to people touching it."

Riley straightened and gasped softly, almost taking a step back. She had moved close to examine the scar and when she straightened, her face was less than a foot away from Flack's. She could feel his warm breath hitting her face as his ice-blue eyes bored into her deep brown eyes.

"I..." Riley tried to speak, but no words would come.

Flack's hand moved to brush a strand of hair from her face, then rested on her neck. He leaned in and gently brushed his lips against hers.

Riley's first instinct was to lean into his touch, his soft lips pressed to hers and his hand brushing the skin on the back of her neck. She felt her hands creeping up to rest on Don's chest, and pulled them back. In the back of her mind, she felt the nagging knowledge that dating a co-worker was usually a bad idea...

Flack was almost as surprised as Riley when their lips met. Although he was developing feelings for her, he didn't want to risk driving her away by moving too fast. But something about the way Riley had looked at him, the softness in her eyes...he had to act.

They broke apart but remained close as Flack's eyes flickered between Riley's. She let out a deep breath and looked away.

"I-I didn't think-I mean," the blue-eyed detective stammered. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," she interrupted, turning her attention back to him. "I just...wasn't expecting that..."

"Sorry..." Flack murmured.

"Don't be," Riley said in a low voice.

Flack looked at her for a moment before nodding. He wanted so much to tell her how he felt, but somehow, the time felt wrong.

"I'd better get you home," he said, a smile flickering across his handsome features. "Your landlord'll come after me with a baseball bat if I keep you out too late..."

"Oh, she's not that bad!" Riley shook her head as she picked hup her backpack.

"You haven't seen the looks she gives me," Flack retorted.

"She's just protective," Riley replied as they walked back into the gym to get to the door. "It took a while for her to accept that I am happy as a cop, even though it's dangerous. I've tried explaining to her that-"

Flack held the door open open for Riley and she gave him a grateful nod.

"-We're partners," she continued. "I can't get into any trouble with you around."

"Well..." Flack leaned closer, a devilish grin on his face.

"Oh, you know what I meant," Riley rolled her eyes. "I feel safe with you, Don."

"I'm glad," he said, his blue eyes darkening slightly. "You'll always be safe when I'm around..."

Riley smiled at that. She knew he meant it...

* * *

**Ooh, we're getting some romance...maybe. ;D Next couple chapters should be light and/or fluffy-ish. Then I've got an actual plot line ready._ *gasp*_ Isn't that amazing? Me, writing an actual plotline...? :o ;)**

**Let me know if you spot any errors, feel free to review, no Flacks were harmed in the making of this fic, no parking, etc. ^-^**

**Kristy :3**


	6. We Need To Talk

**And another fun/fluffy/serious chapter! :) While these are fun to write, they don't make a plot. So I should be starting a plot by chapter 7 or 8... :D Once I get Riley and Don through a few issues and/or cases...  
**

**Thanks for the reviews, _SomebodyWhoCares _and _Torchwood Cardiff_! I really do love my reviewers... :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Det. Don Flack... (anyone know how to make clones?) All I own is Riley. :)**

* * *

Riley sat at her desk. Flack had just left for the night, and she would be able to leave when her paperwork was finished.

She couldn't seem to focus on her work, though. Her thoughts kept straying back to the basketball game of the previous night and a certain blue-eyed detective...

Riley still couldn't believe that they'd kissed. They were just partners, nothing more. They were both too smart to develop more-than-professional feelings toward each other...

But if that was true, then why did she feel a tingle run down her spine when their lips had met...? And just being close to Don had given her a warm feeling that she wasn't used to. Something about him, his eyes, calm and playful at the same time...and the smell, a soft cologne mixed with his natural scent...

"Just partners," the brunette said with a firm shake of her head. "Nothing more."

She managed to push all thoughts of Flack from her head just long enough to finish her paperwork.

Once she left the building, though, her mind returned to Flack. With a sigh, she climbed in her car, but didn't start the engine.

Something was happening with her and Don, that much she knew. She was beginning to have feelings for him, feelings that scared her... She'd learned a lot growing up in New York City, and one important thing was that you never fully trusted anyone.

But when she met Flack, that had changed. She'd learned to trust him and rely on him for support.

Then she'd learned to trust Mac and his team. She'd been with the team through several rough changes, and truly believed that she could count on them for anything.

So many things were still changing for Riley and her growing feelings for Flack didn't help. She'd known him for two years, and was just now falling in love with-No! She refused to allow herself to use the "L" word. But she still wondered how her feelings had waited so long to start changing...

She slammed her hand against the steering wheel and groaned.

"I've got to talk to him," she said to herself.

* * *

Flack drove down the road. His eyes were focused on the road, but his mind kept going back to the previous night.

Riley was a beautiful woman; he couldn't deny that. Deep brown hair that hung down to the middle of her back, chocolate brown eyes that could be soft and compassionate one moment and blazing with righteous anger the next, and an athletic figure that would set any man's heart beating.

But she was his partner...and he almost felt guilty for being attracted to her.

Flack had never been one for saying how he felt; his biggest regret from his relationship with Jess was that he never told her how he truly felt about her. This time, he was determined not to make the same mistake. He knew he had to tell Riley what he thought and how he felt toward her.

And that scared him.

He had seen the brunette's fiery temper, and the chance that it would be directed at him made Flack's stomach sink. They'd shared many things, but their conversations had never drifted to their feelings for each other. For all he knew, she could blow up if he confessed that he was in love with her...

But that didn't matter. He had to talk to Riley...

With a twist of the steering wheel, Flack turned his car down the street. After a minute, he parked the car and got out. He took a deep breath and walked into Riley's apartment building.

* * *

Riley walked up the flight of stairs and into the hallway. She walked down the hall, her head down as she dug in her bag for her keys. When she reached her door, she looked up and gasped.

Flack was leaning against the wall, his hair slightly tousled from running his hands through it. He looked at her, his eyes dark and filled with emotion that set Riley's heart racing.

"I need to talk to you," he said in a low voice.

"Okay," she replied. "I need to talk to you, too..."

Riley unlocked the door and motioned for Flack to follow her in. He did and watched as she set her bag down and move to the couch. He cleared his throat nervously and moved to sit next to her.

"You first," they said in unison.

"You go ahead," Riley said.

"I-I want to talk about last night," Flack said slowly.

Riley took a deep breath and bit her lip.

"That's what you wanted to talk about, isn't it...?" Flack looked at her.

"Yeah," she nodded. "But you go first."

"When we kissed, I was scared," he said. "I was scared that you'd be mad, then get yourself transferred and I'd never see you again. I don't think I could take that, Ri..."

"I wasn't mad," she assured. "And I wouldn't have left you even if I was."

The blue-eyed detective nodded. The knot in his stomach was slowly starting to release.

"Then I realized-" Flack cleared his throat again. "That I-well, I...I enjoyed it..."

Riley's jaw dropped slightly at the man's admission.

"Being so close to you," he continued. "Holding you in my arms-well, it felt right. I don't know how else to explain it..."

"I understand," she said. "I felt the same...and still do."

"You do?" Flack's eyes began to sparkle.

Riley nodded and took another deep breath. As long as they were having this conversation, she knew she had to get everything off her chest.

"I'm in love with you, Don Flack," she said. "I know you really don't need to hear this right now, but it's true. It took an after-game kiss to make me realize it, but now I know: I have feelings for you."

The brunette sighed and looked away.

She wanted to kick herself for what she'd just said. Flack was probably still digesting her first statement, and when he realized what she was really saying, he'd leave. True, he had just mentioned enjoying the kiss, but that was a far cry from being in love. But it just felt so good to finally say it...

She started to say something, but felt Don's hand reach under her chin to gently tilt her face back to his. Her breath caught when she looked into his eyes, blue and lively.

"I shouldn't have said that..." Riley said in a quiet voice. "Sorry..."

"As someone once told me: don't be," Flack replied, leaning in until their faces were just inches apart. "I was about to say the same thing."

With that, he moved his hand to her neck and their eyes met briefly before he pressed his lips to hers. Flack's free hand moved to Riley's waist, holding her close to him. Her hands moved to fully rest on his chest as the kiss deepened.

This time, Riley didn't feel conflicted as she felt Don's lips against hers. She loved him and now knew that he loved her. Nothing else seemed to matter at that moment, except being right there with Don. She moved one of her hands to grip the back of his neck and felt him smile slightly against her lips.

Flack felt all the anxiety slip away as he held Riley close. It felt so good to finally share his feelings with her. Deep down, he felt relieved and for once, felt he was truly doing right by Jess.

They were in love, and there was no going back now.

Not that either of them wanted to...

When the kiss finally ended, both detectives were left out of breath. Flack rested his forehead against Riley's as she sighed.

"Either we just created something good," he said, a smile spreading across his face. "Or we totally screwed up our current relationship."

* * *

**Well, I'd say we definitely have some romance going. xD But the question is: will they be able to make it work?  
**

**As always (I feel like a recording, here...), feel free to let me know if you spot an errors and leave a review if you liked what you've read. :D**

**Kristy :3**


	7. A Walk In The Park

**Sorry about the wait for this chapter. This week as just been soooo hectic. xP I was working on scenes for later chapters, and this one kind of sunk to the bottom of the list... Anyway, I should be able to update sooner, unless something comes up or my brain decides to stop cooperating with me.  
**

**And a very happy birthday to Sandra Bullock (Riley's faceclaim)! :D :D**

**A big thank you goes to _SomebodyWhoCares_, _emmy72 _and _Torchwood Cardiff _for reviewing! I'm glad people are reading and seeming to enjoy this fic. :)**

**Disclamer: Still don't own Flack. But Riley is mine... ;)**

* * *

"What's going on?" Riley asked she and Flack walked to his car. "Our shift's almost up..."

"Danny called," Flack explained as he holstered his weapon. "They're looking for this guy, and they tracked him down to an abandoned building."

"They need backup?" Riley placed a hand near her holstered Glock as she got in the passenger's seat.

"Yep," Flack replied as he started the engine. "But it should be a walk in the park. I mean, he and Mac are there and a backup squad's coming."

Riley nodded. They rode in silence for several minutes, until Flack spoke up.

"It appears we both have tomorrow off," he said casually.

Riley smiled. She knew exactly what Flack was getting at. Even though they were cautious about their relationship being discussed at work, they loved spending time together after. Flack was always trying to come up with fun things for them to do on their time off. To be honest, though, Riley was just as content with curling up next to Flack on her couch and watching the TV, as she was with going to a restaurant or one of New York City's many tourist attractions.

"So it does," the brunette replied as she glanced out the window.

"What do you wanna do?"

"My, aren't we forward?" Riley raised her eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Always..." Flack's ice-blue eyes twinkled as he smirked at her.

* * *

Flack and Riley approached the old two-story building. They quickly found Danny, who brought them up to speed.

"We're looking for an Orlando Bennett," he explained as he showed them a photo. "He's our main suspect in the robbery over on 32nd."

"Right," Flack nodded.

Mac and Lindsay walked over, both already wearing bulletproof vests. Mac handed vests to the three detectives as Linsday checked her weapon.

"Be warned," Mac said. "Bennett knows we're after him, and we think he's armed."

"Great," Riley sighed. "So we might be walking into a gunfight?"

"Let's hope not," Mac replied. "Lindsay and I will take the 1st floor. Danny, you and Riley and Flack will take the 2nd floor."

With a nod, the five detectives moved slowly into the building. Danny, Flack and Riley made their way up the stairs. With a hand signal, Riley indicated that she would go toward the left. Danny nodded and motioned for Flack to go to the right, and he would take the middle.

Riley slowly walked along the shadowy floor, her gun at the ready. Her ears perked as she heard a shuffle coming from another part of the floor. She turned and was walking toward the source of the noise, when someone crashed into her from behind, shoving her against a wall.

* * *

Danny was on full-alert mode as he crept through the room. He froze when he heard the sound of a fight coming from his right. Holding his gun steady, the Italian detective moved to find the fight. The sounds grew louder as he approached one of the rooms. He heard Riley cry out and he burst into the room.

Bennett had his arm wrapped around Riley's neck and was trying to wrestle the gun away from her.

"Let her go!" Danny shouted.

The well-built man paid no attention to Danny and wrenched the gun out of Riley's hand. The weapon fell to the floor, but the brunette detective managed to kick it out of Bennett's reach. The Glock skittered across the floor, finally stopping near Danny.

Unwilling to risk Riley's life by shooting, the Italian holstered his weapon and ran at Bennett. He leapt onto Bennett's back, causing Bennett to release Riley. She fell to the floor, but jumped up to tackle Bennett around the knees. Bennett twisted around and slammed Danny into the wall, making sure to drive his elbow into the detective's stomach.

Danny felt the breath rush out of him. Bennett was one strong guy...

Riley frowned as she saw Danny clutching his stomach. She tried to punch Bennett in the ribs, but he twisted so her fist barely brushed against his side. With a low chuckle, he threw Riley off of him. She flew threw the air and landed against a pile of cardboard boxes.

Danny pushed off the wall and flew at Bennett, landing a solid punch to the man's head.

* * *

Flack whirled at the sound of cardboard boxes being crunched. In the abandoned building, the sound echoed through the walls. He followed the sounds until he reached the room with the two detectives battling Bennett.

Riley was trying to stand up in the pile of boxes and Danny was trying to get Bennett in a headlock.

"Flack, how 'bout a little help here...?" Danny called as he and Bennett crashed into wall.

The blue-eyed detective holstered his gun and grabbed Bennett's free arm. The two detectives managed to get the man pinned against the wall, and Riley cuffed one of his wrists. With a roar, Bennett wrestled free of the detectives, throwing his head back into Flack's face.

Danny held onto the other end of the cuffs holding Bennett's wrist. Riley saw an opportunity and seized it. While Danny held Bennett somewhat in place, she threw her fist in into Bennett's face with all her might. The blow stunned Bennett long enough for Danny to get his other wrist cuffed.

"Don't try anything!" the Italian detective commanded as he pulled his gun.

Flack got to his feet. He could feel blood trickling from his nose, but he wasn't the only one who was injured from the fight.

Riley had a cut next to her left eye, and Danny's lip was split.

"Let's get you out of here..." Riley muttered as the three detectives pushed Bennett out of the room.

* * *

"That was definitely not a 'walk in the park'..." Riley teased as she and Flack walked down the sidewalk.

They had just gotten off work, and were heading to Benny's to relax.

"Well, I'll make it up to you," Flack said as he took her hand and led her down another sidewalk.

"Where are we going?" Riley asked.

"You'll see," the blue-eyed detective replied.

They walked for several blocks, until they reached Central Park. Flack turned to Riley and grinned.

"How about a real walk in the park?" he asked. "Central Park, that is..."

"I'd love to," the brunette mirrored Flack's grin.

Still holding her hand, Flack led Riley into the park. As they walked into a more wooded area, she moved closer to him and took his arm. A breeze began to rustle the bushes and Riley froze at the sound of a snapping twig.

"Scared, Fallon?" Flack smirked at her.

"Not scared, Flack," she said, moving away from him and crossing her arms. "There's just something about Central Park at night..."

"If you mention ghosts-"

"I don't believe in ghosts," the brunette interrupted. "There's just a lot of places for a mugger to hide at night."

"A mugger?" the blue-eyed detective raised his eyebrows. "That's your excuse?"

Riley muttered something under her breath and walked away from Flack.

An idea crossed Flack's mind as he watched Riley. He smirked as Riley moved around a bush and dropped out of sight.

Riley heard branches rustling and glanced behind her. To her surprise, Flack was nowhere in sight. She felt her stomach clench as another twig snapped. Something about being alone in the dark had always bothered her...and Flack had suddenly disappeared, making it even worse.

She jumped as a nearby bush began to shake. She took several steps toward the bush as it shook violently. She gasped as she heard a low growl come from the bush.

That wasn't right, she thought. Bushes just don't growl at people...

All of a sudden, someone burst out of the bush. Riley cried out as the man grabbed her and spun her around. She heard the man laugh, and frowned as she realized who her 'attacker' was.

"Flack!" she shouted. "Put me down!"

Flack obeyed, but still wrapped his arms around her waist. Riley glared at him and tried to pull away, but he refused to let go. He pulled her closer, and she braced her hands against his toned chest.

"Sorry about that," he said with a low chuckle. "But I just couldn't resist..."

"You should've tried harder," Riley retorted. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"You'll forgive me." Flack wiggled his eyebrows. "You know you can't stay mad at me..."

"Is that-"

Riley was cut off as Flack covered her lips with his. She felt him smirk against her lips when she refused to return the kiss. When he pulled away, Riley continued to glare at him.

"If you think one kiss is going to change things-"

"Then how 'bout two?" the blue-eyed detective interrupted her again as he leaned in.

"No," Riley said firmly.

She pulled away from Flack and crossed her arms.

"You're stubborn," he said.

"Yes, I am," she replied. "And that's why you love me."

Flack grinned as Riley turned to walk away.

* * *

**I think it's safe to say that we've got romance. I just couldn't resist letting the teasing side of Flack out... xD ****And a multi-chapter plotline will be coming up soon, I promise. :)**

**You know the drill: If you spot an error, let me know. And please feel free to review. I love feedback from my readers. :)  
**

**Kristy :3**


	8. Movie Night

**Okay, I feel really bad...I planned on updating quickly and I ended up taking over a week to update. :( But hopefully, I'll be forgiven, since it's a bigger chapter. :)**

**Thanks a bunch to my friend Emma, who's helping me with this fic! And thanks to my reviewers: _Torchwood Cardiff _and _SomebodyWhoCares_! Love ya! xD**

**Disclaimer: Own Riley, do I. Own Flack, do I not... ;)**

* * *

Danny and Sheldon approached the crime scene. Riley was kneeling beside the vic, and Flack met Danny and Sheldon at the Crime Scene tape.

"It's not pretty," Flack said. "Someone literally beat the guys face into pulp."

Danny and Sheldon followed Flack to where the vic lay.

Flack was telling the truth when he said it wasn't pretty. All they could tell about the victim was the was, or had been, a young man, maybe in his 30's. His dirty blond hair was probably meant to be swept up and off his face, but it was mussed from whatever fight he'd been in. His facial features were unrecognizable from the mix of mangled flesh and blood. Danny had been to his share of crime scenes, some remarkably clean, others dirty and stomach-wrenching.

This one came closer to the latter...

Riley stood up and looked at them.

"Haven't touched the body," she said. "But hopefully, he'll have some form of ID."

The two detectives watched as Danny carefully photographed the body before checking the vic's pockets. He pulled out a wallet and opened it.

"Boom," he said as he handed it to Sheldon.

"Mark Bilson," Sheldon read the license.

Riley and Flack shared a look.

"Name ring a bell?" the doctor raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it does," the blue-eyed detective replied. "Mark Bilson is one of the men in Ronnie Dirko's gang."

"Dirko?" the Italian detective frowned. "Ain't that drug dealer we've been after for a couple months now?"

Riley nodded slowly.

Ronnie Dirko had popped up on the NYPD's radar almost three months ago. He was quickly working his way up the criminal ladder, and was a growing pain to the CSI team. He knew just how to work his drug deals so he was never caught with the goods. Riley and Flack kept his file on their respective desks, and were determined to bring him down.

"Maybe Bilson and Dirko had a disagreement," Danny suggested. "They couldn't work it out, and things got ugly."

"It's a possibility," Flack said. "It'll be hard to prove, though. No witnesses, so whatever evidence you can find, that's all we'll have to work with."

Sheldon and Danny nodded and began to work the scene.

* * *

"We still on for tonight?" Danny asked as they were walking back to their vehicles.

"Yep," Riley nodded. "I invited Mac and Jo, but they've both got something going. And Sheldon, don't forget to bring Camille."

The three detectives could have sworn Sheldon blushed at Camille's name..

"She's still planning on coming, right?" the brunette pressed.

"Last I heard, she was," the doctor replied.

"Good," Riley said with a nod. "Adam's coming, too. I told him to bring a date, but he just started stammering."

"Sounds like Adam," Danny grinned.

* * *

Flack made his way up to Riley's apartment. She'd gotten off before him, and had hurried home to her apartment to get ready for the movie night.

He tried her door; it was open. He poked his head in and called out.

"Riley, you here?"

"Kitchen," she called back.

He walked in and shut the door. Tossing his jacket on the stand near the door, Flack made his way to the kitchen. He grinned when he saw Riley.

She was on her knees with one arm jammed under the refrigerator, and her rear end facing the doorway. Flack let his eyes roam over Riley for a moment, until she turned to look at him.

"What's with the goofy grin?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, just admiring the view," the blue-eyed detective replied as he leaned against the wall.

"Funny..." Riley rolled her eyes as she stood up. "Stupid Coke lid rolled under the fridge and I can't reach it."

"Well, it'll probably be all gone by the end of tonight, so don't worry about it."

Riley started to reply, but there was a knock at her front door.

"That's the pizza," she said as she grabbed something off of the counter.

Flack leaned against the counter and looked around the kitchen. After a moment, Riley returned with four large pizza boxes. She set them along the counter and opened them. The sudden aroma of the different pizzas blasted Flack's face and he took a step back.

"Cheese, pepperoni, special, and Hawaiian," Riley said as she pointed to the boxes. "At least they got the order right."

Flack's stomach began to rumble and he realized that he hadn't actually had a whole meal that day.

"Hungry?" Riley grinned at her partner as the rumbling grew louder.

Flack nodded and slowly reached for one of the pizzas, but Riley slapped his hand away.

"What was that for?" he frowned.

"I know you're hungry," the brunette replied. "But you'll live until the rest of the team gets here."

"Just one piece...?" Flack moved closer to Riley and gave her a look.

Riley crossed her arms. She had to admit that the look on Flack's face aroused the sympathy in her, but she was determined to stand her ground. His blue eyes darkened slightly, sending a shiver through Riley, and he leaned even closer.

A smirk slowly spread across Riley's face as she shook her head. Flack's eyes bored into her brown eyes as he brought his face within inches of hers.

"How about a piece of you, then?" he murmured.

Riley wasn't surprised at how quickly Flack had forgotten his stomach. But she was still determined not to let him win, either by giving him a piece of pizza or letting him turn this into a make-out session.

"That's so cliché," Riley said as she moved away and turned to fiddle with the pizzas.

She felt Flack right up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist.

"I thought you were hungry," she reminded.

"I am," the blue-eyed detective replied as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "But it can wait..."

Riley shifted slightly. She could feel his eyes on her, and his warm breath caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end.

With a small smile, Riley fanned one of the pizza box lids, sending a wave of pizza scent at Flack. His stomach rumbled again, louder than it had been before, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"That was mean," Flack said as he nuzzled her neck.

"I never claimed to be nice," the brunette retorted.

Flack turned Riley to face him and braced his hands against the counter on either side of her. She glanced up at his face for a moment, then looked away. She knew if she looked him in the eye, she'd be a goner...

"Either I get pizza," he said huskily. "Or I get you."

"Now that was just corny," Riley said with a shake of her head.

Flack raised an eyebrow and leaned closer.

Riley's mind was racing. She was now pressed against the counter, with Don's face slowly coming closer to hers. She could only avoid him so long, and she was running out of excuses. It wasn't like Flack scared her; it was more of a game between the two of them. Don had never crossed the line and Riley was sure that if he ever did, it would be purely accidental and he would be apologetic.

"You've got ten seconds to make your decision," Flack said as he began to nuzzle her neck again.

Riley felt like groaning, but she knew Flack would take it as a sign of pleasure. His hands moved to her hips, and Riley silently began counting her options. She could duck away and think of a chore to do, but that would seem like running, and Flack was not going to win. She was considering sending another waft of pizza at Flack, but the sound of the front door opening provided the distraction for her.

"Hey, anyone home?" Danny's voice echoed through the apartment.

Riley grinned and twisted out of Flack's grip.

"You got lucky," he sighed and followed her into the living room.

* * *

"Okay," Riley rubbed her hands together. "Popcorn, pizza, coke and beer. Anything missing?"

She glanced back at the crowd that was gathered in her living room. It wasn't quite what you could call a crowd, but close enough.

Sheldon and Camille had nestled in Riley's oversized armchair, Adam sat in Riley's office chair that she had pulled out, Lindsay and Danny were sitting on one end of the couch and Flack sat on the other end, with room left for Riley to squeeze in between him and Lindsay.

"You are," Flack replied as he patted the empty space beside him.

"Cute line," Danny smirked.

"I'd like to see you come up with something that cute," Lindsay teased.

"I've got something cute-" Danny pecked Lindsay on the cheek. "You."

Riley grinned and pulled a DVD out of her shelves. She put it in the player and moved to sit on the couch. Flack wrapped his arm around Riley and she leaned into him.

As the opening scene of _The Fugitive _flickered across the screen, Camille smiled and snuggled closer to Sheldon.

"I love this movie," Adam exclaimed. "I've watched it...okay, I've lost count of how many times I've watched it, but I love it!"

"Good choice," Sheldon said.

* * *

As the end credits rolled across the screen, the group began to move around.

"Look, Linds," Danny said as he stood up and stretched. "I love you, but if someone ever murders you, please don't say my name on the 911 tape."

"I have to admit," Camille said. "Every time I watch that movie, I start craving donuts..."

"Me, too!" Riley grinned.

"I love the scene where he helps the kid in the hospital," Sheldon said. "Although I'd probably react like she did if I thought a 'janitor' had altered the charts."

"I think the fight at the end was the best part," Lindsay said. "I mean, you knew how angry Kimble was, but he never crossed the line to kill the guy."

"The sheriff at the train wreck was kind of an idiot," Flack frowned.

Riley smiled and moved to clean up the various bowls, plates and glasses. She carrying the dirty dished into the kitchen and began to load up the dishwasher. She laughed as she glanced up and saw Sheldon demonstrating one of Kimble's hospital moves on Adam.

"I had a great time tonight, Riley."

Riley turned to see Camille walking into the kitchen.

"Thanks for inviting me," the attractive young woman continued. "I know you didn't have to; I'm not exactly part of the 'team'..."

"You're Sheldon's girlfriend," Riley replied. "That makes you a part of the team."

"Thanks," Camille smiled and moved to help Riley with the dirty dishes. "So I know Danny and Lindsay are married, but I'm curious about you and Detective Flack."

"What about us?"

"You're partners, Sheldon's told me that. And you're in love. I can see that..."

"Maybe we are," Riley smiled. "Everyone needs someone to turn to. I think Sheldon's lucky to have you, and he knows it."

"What?" Camille raised an eyebrow.

"Sheldon has a habit of focusing on work," Riley explained. "But since he's been dating you...it's hard to explain, but there's a definite change in him. And I mean a good change."

Camille smiled and looked into the living room.

"He's a good man," she said quietly. "I'm the one that's lucky to have him."

"I know the feeling..." Riley smiled.

* * *

**Okay, this is last mushy-gushy romance scene for a while. Riley and Don will still get some moments (this is Flack/Riley, after all), but nothing like the kitchen scene. ;) We've got an actual plot (_*gasp*_) to get to!  
**

**Bonus points to anyone who can tell why I chose that particular movie for our team to watch... ;) ;)**

**And of course I finally brought Adam in, and he'll get more to do in later chapters. :D And I know Camille didn't come in until toward the end of season 7, but I figured she could still fit in, as my timeline is season 7 in general. :)**

**As I always say, feel free to let me know if you spot any errors, and feel free to leave a review! :)**

**Kristy :3**


	9. A New Lead

**So, I had this chapter ready a couple of days ago, but then life got really hectic... But it is a biggish chapter, so are we good? ;)**

**Thanks go to my reviewers: _Torchwood Cardiff_, _Somebod__yWhoCares_, and _CSIGetteBlue_! You guys are awesome! xD**

**Disclaimer: I own Riley, that's it. But I am making some cloning plans. (Here, Flack...)**

* * *

"Remember that guy we picked up a couple of days ago?" Riley asked as she walked up to Flack's desk. "Orlando Bennett?"

"Yeah," Flack replied as he rubbed his jaw. "Hard to forget him..."

"He wants to see us," the brunette leaned against the desk, her eyes dark. "Says he can give us information on Ronnie Dirko...and Bilson's death."

"Didn't we bring him in for robbery?" Flack looked up at her.

"Yeah," Riley nodded.

"What does a small-time robber have to do with a guy like Dirko?" the blue-eyed detective frowned.

"I just told you all I know," Riley said. "He won't say anymore until we talk to him."

"Let's go," Flack said as he stood up.

* * *

Orlando Bennett sat across from the two detectives, his hands laying flat on the table. His dark eyes darted from Riley to Flack, then to the door.

"You nervous?" Flack asked, leaning back in his chair.

"You've got to make sure Dirko goes to jail," Bennett said, running a shaky hand through his hair. "And make sure he can't get to me."

"Why?" Riley asked. "What makes you think Dirko would come after you?"

"Because I-" Bennett shook his head. "He'll have me killed..."

"What makes you so important to Dirko?" Riley pressed. "You're just an everyday robber, who-"

"I worked for him, okay?!" Bennett cried.

Beads of sweat were slowly appearing on Bennett's forehead as he rubbed his hands together.

"You said you had information on the murder of Mark Bilson," Flack said. "Were you involved in some way?"

"No," Bennett said. "Dirko wouldn't use me for a hit; I just pull jobs to 'raise funds'. Besides, you brought me in three days ago, and Mark was killed yesterday."

"Then what do you know about the killing?" Riley asked.

"I know who did it, when it happened, and even where it happened."

"You know all of that, how?" Flack raised an eyebrow.

"I overheard Dirko giving Rocky the instructions," Bennett explained.

"Rocky?" Flack smirked slightly. "That a nickname, or something?"

"I don't know," Bennett said with a shrug. "I don't think Dirko even knows. He's just Rocky, one of Dirko's top men. He handled the dirty work."

"By dirty work, you mean hits?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, he's the hitman of the gang," Bennett nodded. "I thought maybe they would work it out with Mark, but when I heard about the hit last night...I knew what happened. I don't think that either of them know what I heard. But word gets around, and if they find out that I told you..."

Bennett's hands began to shake again as he glanced around the room.

"We'll keep you safe," Flack assured. "But all we have so far is your testimony that you overheard Dirko issuing a hit, and that does nothing for us."

"What if I can give you an opportunity to arrest Dirko?" Bennett lowered his voice as he leaned forward. "A deal's going down tonight, and you can catch him with the goods. He's not afraid of you guys anymore..."

"What do you mean?" Riley asked.

"Dirko used to insist that we stick to the plan," Bennett said. "I mean, everything had to be done a certain way so the cops wouldn't be able to pin anything on us. We all went along with it because his plans worked perfectly. But lately, he's been getting cocky. He's even using his own club for the location tonight."

Riley and Flack looked at each other.

"If you play it right," Bennett continued. "You'll be able to get him for possession. I can tell you everything about the deal..."

* * *

"What do you think, Ri?" Flack asked as they walked back to their desks.

"His information sounds legit," the brunette replied. "But how are we supposed to get to Dirko? Just waltz into the club and arrest him?"

"We could set up an undercover op," Flack suggested.

"We've got less than eight hours," Riley said with a frown. "That's barely enough time to prepare for the op, and we'd have to find the right people to go undercover and fill them in on the whole thing."

"You and I could do it," the blue-eyed detective said. "We both know all the information, it's just a matter of getting it set up."

"Don, you can't be serious..." Riley looked at him.

"We've done it before," he said.

"Not for something like this," she protested. "If we screw this up, we'd lose any and all chance of getting Dirko behind bars."

"We'd be the best ones to do it," Flack said. "We've studied Dirko's file and learned what we could about how he runs the gang."

"I don't-"

"We can do this, Riley..." Flack looked her in the eye.

* * *

"Why does she have to be so stubborn...?" Lindsay frowned as she walked out of the bedroom.

Lindsay was helping Riley prepare for the undercover op and the two detectives could not agree on an outfit for her.

"You get used to it," Flack said with a smirk.

"I am used to it," the shorter detective replied. "But she's still the most frustrating person sometimes..."

"Come on, Ri," the blue-eyed man called, the smirk still plastered on his face. "It's almost time to go."

"I'm not coming out," the brunette detective's voice came from her bedroom. "I look ridiculous."

"Like I look any better..." Flack muttered.

He was wearing a tight black shirt, with the top three buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up just past his elbows, worn black jeans with several spots that looked like they were about to rip, and combat boots. His normally slicked-back hair hung down in his face in several unruly strands.

"I manage to talk her into the outfit," Lindsay said. "But I can't get her out of that room."

"Riley Fallon," Flack called, his voice harsher, but his eyes still playful. "You've got exactly one minute to get your butt out here! Or I'm coming after you!"

The room was silent for a minute before Riley's voice echoed out.

"Give me a minute," she sighed.

"The voice of the master..." Lindsay grinned as she walked toward the door. "I'll be in the van."

Flack shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced around Riley's living room. He thought about grabbed a bottle of water from her fridge and was about to walk into the kitchen, when he heard the bedroom door open.

"Laugh and I'll shoot you," Riley said dryly as she walked into the living room.

Flack turned and his jaw dropped.

Riley was wearing a tight black tank top with a ripped white button-up shirt hanging open, ripped black jeans that were cut off at the knees, and black high-tops. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, with several strands curved around her face. She wore heavier makeup than usual, and a black choke chain clung to her neck.

"You look..." Flack rubbed his jaw. "I mean, I've never seen you in punk clothes..."

"At least you look good," the brunette said as she looked Flack over.

"Hey, so do you," he replied. "I'm just not used to seeing you like that."

He couldn't take his eyes off Riley as she grabbed her bag and headed toward the door. The clothes fit her figure perfectly, and Flack briefly wondered what would happen if she came in to work dressed like that.

"Come on, Don," the brunette said with a smirk. "You'll have plenty of time to gawk when we're done..."

Flack opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it as they walked out of her apartment. He had made a habit of checking Riley out, and had no problem with making sly comments to her, but when she got the first word, it always threw him off.

They left her building and climbed into the unmarked NYPD van.

* * *

Adam Ross sat across from Riley and Don. His laptop was balanced on one knee as he spoke animatedly to the two undercover detectives. Lindsay and Danny sat near Adam, both looking over Dirko's file.

"We'll be monitoring you the whole time," Adam said. "These have bugging devices built into them."

He handed a small black handbag to Riley, and a Celtic Cross necklace to Flack. Flack fingered the small metal charm for a moment before putting it around his neck.

"It's cute," Riley said as she looked over the purse.

"Just don't get it wet," Adam warned. "It might not actually hurt the device, but we didn't test it. I mean, we tested them to make sure we could hear what's going on, but we didn't test if it was affected by water... So to be safe, just avoid spilling anything on it or setting it in a pool of a liquid or-"

"Relax, Adam," Lindsay said. "She's going to a club, not going to a pool party."

Adam's face grew red as he focused back on his laptop. Riley grinned and looked at Danny.

"You'll have to get pretty close to him," the Italian detective said. "But that should be pretty easy. For Riley, at least..."

"Ladies man, huh?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Definitely," Danny replied. "He changes girlfriends like we change Lucy's diapers."

"Not for the same reason, I hope." Flack smirked.

"Very funny," Danny retorted.

"So, if I can get close to him," Riley said slowly. "And _if_ the deal really goes down tonight and _if _we can catch him in the act, we'll finally put Dirko behind bars."

"A lot of if's..." Flack sighed. "And if something goes wrong-"

"It won't," Lindsay assured.

Riley leaned back. How could they be doing this...? There were so many possible things that could go wrong, not to mention the fact that they were about to try and nab the leader of a drug dealing gang. So many things could go wrong...

They felt the van come to a stop, and all eyes fell on Flack and Riley.

"Ready for this?" he asked.

"Let's do it," she replied as they stood up.

* * *

**A semi-cliffhanger...shame on me. :P But at least I'm doing an actual plot! Riley and Flack will some moments here and there, and I can tell you that they'll be a plot twist in a couple of chapters... :o  
**

**And I'm giving Adam a little more chapter-time. (I would've said screen-time, but technically, he's in a chapter, not onscreen...) :D **

**As always, let me know if you spot an error and leave a review if you liked the chapter. :)**

**Kristy :3**


	10. Undercover

**Woohoo! An update within a couple of days! I know this is a bigger chapter, but I didn't really want to split it into two... :)**

**_SomebodyWhoCares:_ I know, right? I think Eddie would look good in anything, but I can't quite picture him as a punk...**

**_2NYwLove: _Thank you! :) I love Adam, but not as much as Flack...**

**Disclaimer: Flack and the rest of the team belong to CBS, but Riley belongs to me.**

* * *

Riley and Flack walked slowly toward the club. It was small, but flashy. Neon signs lit up the sidewalk, and they could hear the pounding beat of a song, even outside.

"Time to play our parts," Riley said. "Let's hope he falls for it..."

Flack heard her release a shaky breath, and he took her hand.

"Ready or not," he mumbled as he pulled open the door.

The two detectives walked into the club and were immediately hit by the strong smell of alcohol and cigarettes. The smells mingled together caused the brunette's stomach to lurch.

Riley managed to pull herself together as they approached the bar. She grinned and leaned against the blue-eyed man.

"This is a pretty nice place," she said, her grin turning into a sultry smile.

Flack played along and slid his arm around her waist.

"Whatever keeps ya happy," he replied before turning to the bartender. "Two beers."

Riley pulled away and crossed her arms, a frown forming on her lips.

"Really?" she pouted. "I'm only worth a beer?"

Flack caught on, and placed a hand on her arm.

"C'mon, babe," he protested. "We're just starting out with beer...I promise."

"Whatever," she replied as she plopped down on the bar stool.

The bartender slid two mugs of beer in front of them, and moved away. Flack downed half of his in one gulp, and glanced at Riley, who rolled her eyes. She slipped her purse over her wrist and reached for her mug.

Flack scooted closer to Riley and leaned over. Riley felt a shiver run down her spine as she felt his breath against her ear. Flack's arm slid back around Riley's waist as he moved even closer.

"Found Dirko," he whispered. "He's sitting alone in the corner. But I think one of his goons is watching out for him, from the next table..."

Riley glanced around the small club.

Flack was right; Dirko was sitting alone at a table in the corner. Riley felt her anger at Dirko bubbling up as she saw him in person. The few pictures they'd acquired of him had only shown basic features. Even across the dimly-lit room, she could see his gray-green eyes were cold, and that he was now eying her and Flack.

"I see him," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "And I think he's watching us..."

"Good," Flack replied as he moved to kiss her jaw. "Let's hope he likes what he sees."

"Let's wait till we're a little more drunk, okay?" Riley giggled and pushed Flack away.

* * *

Riley glanced at her watch. She and Flack had been sitting at the bar for five minutes. They had gone through the first round of beers, and were slowly working on a second round.

"We've got to do something," the brunette said in a low voice.

"Dirko's eyes have been on you pretty much since we walked in," Flack replied. "It's like he's just waiting to move in..."

The pulsing intro of a dance song played over the speaker, causing the the other people in the club to whoop and cheer. Someone turned the music up louder, and several couples moved to dance in the open area of the club.

Riley glanced over at Dirko. His eyes were still on her, and she was hit by an idea.

With a smirk in Dirko's direction, Riley grabbed ahold of Flack's arm.

"Let's dance," she exclaimed.

"Babe," he said with a shake of his head. "I came here to drink."

"You just don't know how to have fun," Riley retorted, her hands on her hips.

"Oh, I can have fun..." Flack placed his hands over Riley's and leaned in.

"Then come on!" Riley grinned.

She grabbed Flack's hands and pulled him onto the dance floor. They began to move to the swift beat, and Riley laughed.

Flack grabbed Riley by the waist and pulled her close to him. With a playful smirk, he brought his face close to Riley's.

"We've got an audience, Ri," he muttered.

"Then let's make this look good," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck.

* * *

"How much longer till the deal goes down?" Adam asked nervously.

He was alternating between trying to focus on his laptop, and trying to make conversation. Neither was working out very well for him...

"Calm down, man," Danny said. "You won't do them any good by worrying."

"You're worried, too," the lab tech pointed out.

"No, I'm not," Danny replied.

"Then why are you wringing your hands...?" Lindsay asked.

Danny shot her a look and leaned back.

"So, how long?" Adam asked, glancing at Lindsay.

"About an hour," she replied.

"Riley better move quick," Danny said.

Lindsay leaned against her husband, while Adam tried to focus on his laptop.

"What if something bad happens?" the lab tech asked, his voice quiet. "I mean, they could get killed in there. It's dangerous.."

"Stay positive," Lindsay said.

"Fine, I'm 'positive' that it's dangerous," Adam retorted. "They barely had any time to prepare, and now they're trying to get close to a drug dealer. A murdering drug dealer!"

"Calm down," Danny repeated.

"What if they get found out?" Adam continued. "What if-"

"Adam, enough," Lindsay interrupted. 'They're not going to get caught; everything's going to be fine..."

Adam shook his head, but continued to work with his laptop.

* * *

Riley pulled away from Flack. They both needed a moment to catch their breaths. Flack fingered a strand of Riley's hair and leaned in again.

"Down, boy," the brunette said as she moved back to the bar.

Flack followed her and sat right next to her. Riley sighed and rolled her eyes. Hopefully, Dirko would take the bait, and soon...

"I think his goon is about to interrupt us," Flack whispered as he leaned in to kiss her neck.

Riley scooted away and turned back to him.

"Would you cut it out?" she crossed her arms.

"What did I do wrong now?" Flack frowned.

Riley shook her head and looked at the bartender.

"Another beer," she said.

Flack grumbled and turned away.

* * *

Flack ran his finger around his mug. He and Riley were slowly nursing a third round of beers. Something had to happen soon...

A man walked up to Riley and placed a hand on her arm. Riley jumped and turned to him. She thought about making a sarcastic remark, but the man didn't look like he'd take it too well. He was at least three inches taller than Flack, and his muscles bulged against the material of his shirt. Something about the look in his dark eyes worried her; they were almost...dead...

"My boss said to give you this," he said in a rough voice.

He held out a folded piece of paper, and Riley took it. She opened it and read it. With a smirk, she glanced in Dirko's direction. She met his gaze for a moment, before turning to the bartender.

"Can I borrow a pen?" she asked.

The bartender dug under the counter and handed her a pen. She scribbled on the paper and handed it back to the man.

"Give it back to your boss," Riley said.

The man shrugged and walked away. Riley turned and handed the pen back to the bartender, who took it with a nod.

"What was that about?" Flack slung his arm over Riley's shoulders.

"Some guy wants to buy me a drink," she replied, brushing his arm away.

"What'd you say?" the blue-eyed man crossed his arms.

"I said 'Only if you can afford the best'..." Riley glared at Flack. "Got a problem with that?"

"Yeah, I do," he replied. "You've been treating me like crap the whole time we've been here! First, you get mad when I buy you a beer. Then, you keep ignoring me to make eyes with some creep. You're supposed to be my girlfriend!"

"Maybe I am," Riley said icily. "But that can change at anytime, just so you know."

If Flack had watched their exchange from a third person's point of view, he would've sworn that Riley hated him. She was good.

Dirko was falling for it, but time was running out...

"C'mon..." Flack whined. "You know I love you..."

Riley rolled her eyes, but her expression quickly softened as she saw Dirko's goon approaching her. He handed her the same piece of paper and she looked at it. Dirko had scribbled 'Trust me, I can...' underneath her note. Riley gave the man a sly smile.

"Take me to your leader," she said.

"Wait a minute!" Flack grabbed her arm. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Wherever I want," Riley retorted.

She pulled away from Flack and followed the man to the back table. Ronnie Dirko stood up, and Riley felt her stomach sink. His eyes didn't have a speck of green in them, but were pure gray. His dark hair was slicked back, and his face was clean-shaven. To a stranger, he would've seemed like a handsome playboy.

But Flack and Riley had seen his file. Riley had seen crime scenes connected to Dirko; she'd seen the hits he ordered...

She put her thoughts behind her and smiled at Dirko.

"You said something about a drink?" Riley slid her purse back up her arm.

"Have a seat..." Dirko motioned to the table.

* * *

Flack watched Riley from the bar.

She was sitting close to Dirko now, and he was whispering in her ear. She laughed and reached for her drink.

Flack felt twinges of jealousy as he watched Riley flirting with Dirko. He knew it was all an act, and that in reality, she hated the man. But it still made him jealous...

Over the next five minutes, Flack watched several men approach Dirko, then leave quickly. Riley had set her purse close to Dirko, so hopefully, the team in the van had gotten the conversations on tape. He caught Riley's eye, and she shook her head slightly.

Flack sighed and reached for his mug.

* * *

Riley felt Dirko place a hand on her knee. Riley had only had a couple of drinks, and could handle her liquor fairly well. But to fit her image, she was trying to seem slightly drunk, to match Dirko.

"No, no, no..." she took his hand and placed it on the table.

"What?" Dirko smirked at her.

"You've only bought me two drinks," the brunette returned the smirk. "And that comes after...oh say, a bottle."

Dirko started to lean closer, but a man approached him with a small briefcase. Riley sighed and rested her chin in her hand, but watched the man and Dirko. After a moment of speaking, Dirko slipped the man something and he left the briefcase on the table.

"What's in the case?" Riley fingered the smooth leather. "Secret documents?"

"Just some stuff for a friend of mine," Dirko said with a wave of his hand. "He'll pick it up in a minute."

Riley straightened. That had to be the drug shipment...

She saw a man walk into the club and move toward the table. It was likely that he was there to pick up the shipment, so she made her choice.

"What's in the briefcase, Dirko?" Riley asked, her tone firm.

He looked at her, his jaw dropping slightly. She nodded at Flack, who quickly walked up to them. Dirko glanced up at Flack.

"Open the briefcase," Flack said as he pulled out his badge. "Now."

"I-" Dirko looked at Riley. "You're a cop?!"

"Do as he says," she said, opening her purse to reveal her badge.

"You're kidding me..." Dirko gasped.

"Open it," Flack ordered.

Dirko obeyed, and the detectives saw that the briefcase was filled with drug packages.

"You'll regret this," Dirko hissed.

Dirko's gray eyes bored into Riley's eyes, and she suddenly felt cold.

"Read him his rights, Flack," she said, her voice emotionless.

"Gladly," the blue-eyed detective replied. "Ronnie Dirko, you're under arrest..."

* * *

**So, I'm not that good at writing undercover scenes. :P But keep reading! This story is far from over... xD  
**

**I know Riley and Flack probably seemed OOC, but they were undercover, so they had to act a part.**

**Let me know if you spot an error, and feel free to leave a review! :) I love my reviewers!**

**Kristy :3**


	11. Aftermath

**Sorry this one took a little longer... I'm still trying to sort out the next few chapters. I know this chapter is smaller, but it's more of a filler for the next plot part. :)  
**

**Thanks for the reviews: FanOfFiction22xx, SomebodyWhoCares, and 2NYwLove. I really do appreciate you! xD**

**Disclaimer: Riley is mine, Flack and company are not mine. Benny and his bar and grill are also mine... **

* * *

Flack knocked on Riley's door as he opened it.

"Ri, you ready?" he called.

"Coming," the brunette replied.

Riley walked out of her bedroom, her bag slung over her shoulder. Flack smiled at her and held the door open. She returned the smile as they left her apartment. The two detectives walked wordlessly until they left the building and reached Flack's car.

"I really appreciate this," Riley said as she climbed in.

"No problem," the blue-eyed detective replied.

"Can't wait until my car's out of the shop..." Riley said.

"Is my company really that bad?" Flack grinned as he pulled the car back into New York City's thick morning traffic.

"You know that's not what I meant," Riley rolled her eyes.

Flack nodded and they rode in silence for several minutes, until Riley spoke up.

"You think we did right?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"What do you mean?" Flack glanced at her.

"We only got Dirko," she explained. "Not his whole gang. They're still out there somewhere..."

"We'll get Dirko to talk," Flack said. "Then we'll round 'em up."

"How do we get him to talk?" Riley frowned. "He refuses to speak to anyone, not even a lawyer!"

"We'll get him," Flack assured. "Just relax..."

Riley nodded slowly and looked out the window for the rest of the ride.

Flack thought about what Riley had just said. She was right; getting Dirko didn't mean that they had his gang. He had to admit that it worried him that there were still members of Dirko's gang out on the streets. He hoped none of them would try anything stupid, but something told him that trouble was on the horizon...

* * *

The phone on Riley's desk began to ring, causing both her and Flack to groan. They had been harassed by reporters ever since they arrived at the precinct.

Riley muttered something under her breath as she picked up the phone.

"This is Fallon," she said. "Yes, I really am Detective Riley Fallon."

Flack mouthed the question '_Reporter?_'and Riley nodded.

"I can't answer any of those questions," the brunette said flatly. "I really don't care about your 'scoop'...right, same to you..."

Riley stuck her tongue out at the phone and hung it up.

"I swear, reporters are a royal pain," the blue-eyed detective scoffed.

"You're tell-" Riley was cut off as her phone began to ring again.

She groaned and picked up the receiver, holding it tightly in her hand.

"Fallon," she answered in a clipped tone.

After a moment of listening, Riley relaxed and smiled slightly.

"Yeah, sure," she said, her tone calmer. "Okay...be there in a few."

She hung up and opened her drawer. Flack watched as she pulled out her Glock and checked it.

"What's up?" Flack asked.

"Oh, that was Benny," the brunette replied as she holstered her weapon. "Some guy is causing a little bit of trouble, and Benny needs me to politely suggest that he leave."

"You gonna walk?" Flack asked.

"Yeah," Riley shrugged. "It's just a couple blocks."

"Need back-up?" Flack leaned forward.

"No, it's okay..."

Riley took her badge from the chain around her neck, and clipped it onto her belt. She stood up, and smiled at Flack.

"Be back in a couple minutes," she said.

"Don't forget your jacket," Flack reminded. "It's getting cold."

"Yes, mother," Riley teased, grabbing her leather jacket.

Flack leaned back in his chair and watched Riley walk out. He wondered if he should've followed her out, but quickly pushed that thought from his mind. She had her weapon, and it was just to Benny's and back...

* * *

Riley walked quickly down the sidewalk. She zipped up her jacket as the wind picked up. It was getting closer to winter, and there was a definite chill in the air.

One of the thoughts that warmed her was Flack.

She felt bad for being so cruel to him the previous night, but she knew he understood. After they had arrested Dirko, he had taken her home. He made sure she got in safe and, after a brief make-out session, he left, promising to pick her up in the morning.

Riley could see the neon sign for Benny's Bar & Grill just down the block, and she shivered. At least Benny's would be warm.

"Help me..."

Riley froze as a voice came from the alley.

"Please...I need help..."

Riley took a couple of careful steps into the alley, scanning in each direction. It was a fairly empty alley, a few trash cans lining the walls. She could see after a couple hundred feet, it opened into another street. She could see a van parked near the opening.

With her hand on her holster, Riley continued. She stopped when she saw a man crumpled against the wall, holding his face.

"Sir, are you okay?" Riley knelt down beside him.

"Are you a cop?" he asked, still holding his face.

"I am," she replied. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the man said. "Now..."

"Sir...?" Riley stood up and took a step back.

The man stood up and took a step toward her. His hands dropped to his sides as he studied Riley's face.

"What's wrong?" Riley repeated, her hand moving to rest on her holster.

The man took another step and Riley felt her stomach twinge. Something was wrong here...

"Are you Detective Riley Fallon?" the man asked.

"How did you..." Riley's voice trailed off as she watched the man nod, but not at her.

Riley tried to back away from the man, but someone grabbed her from behind. She kicked out at the man in front of her, but he moved to the side. She tried to scream, but the man behind her covered her mouth. After a moment, the hand was replaced by a cloth. Riley struggled and kicked harder as the sweet aroma filled her nostrils.

Riley's vision was blurring, and the sounds were slowly fading out.

The man behind Riley held the cloth firmly over her mouth and she tried unsuccessfully to hold her breath. She tried to kick back at him, but her legs were going limp. She twisted to see the other man grinning at her.

"Goodnight, detective," he said.

Suddenly, the world went black...

* * *

**I know this seems like one of those 'oh-great-another-plot-twist' chapters, and well, it kinda is... But it's still all part of one _big_ plot. :)**

**And I promise: We'll be getting the rest of the team in the next few chapters!**

**As always, let me know of any errors and don't forget to review! Thanks!  
**

**Kristy :3  
**


	12. We've Got A Problem

**Sorry this one took so long, but I've been sick for almost four days now. :P And I know the quality of this chapter might not be the best, but it is the best I could do right now. :)**

**Thank you so much for the reviews: FanOfFiction22xx, SomebodyWhoCares, writergirl219, and sass box. You guys are great! And the review count has gotten to 26, which is more than I've gotten for any of my other fics. :D**

**Disclaimer: I only own Riley and the goons that kidnapped her. Flack and the rest of the CSI's are the property of CBS.**

* * *

Flack glanced at his watch. Riley had been gone for almost an hour.

He told himself to stop worrying, and that she was fine. But his mind kept going back to the look in Dirko's eyes...

Flack sighed and rubbed his eyes. This was one of the dangers of falling for your partner: the protective instinct could override the professionalism. It had happened with Jess, and Flack knew it would happen with Riley.

Flack considered calling Riley. There was still a chance that it was taking longer to help Benny than she expected, but it wasn't like Riley to be away from her desk for more than an hour without calling. He felt conflicted; he wanted to call to check in with her, but sometimes he felt like he was getting overprotective. Riley was a big girl and she could take care of herself. Now if Flack could just convince himself of that...

Flack's thoughts were broken as a young man slowly approached his desk, a leather bundle under his arm. The young man looked to be in his twenties, with thick brown hair and dark blue eyes. He cleared his throat and looked Flack in the eyes.

"Detective Don Flack?" When Flack nodded, the young man continued, "I was told to give this to you."

The young man set the bundle on the desk and Flack looked at it.

"You gonna check it out, or what?" The young man asked.

Flack shrugged and turned the bundle over. He could tell it was a leather jacket, and it felt familiar. He untied the arms and spread the jacket open. Flack gasped as he realized why the jacket seemed familiar.

It was Riley's jacket.

And it was wrapped around her cellphone, Glock and badge...

* * *

Riley was jarred awake.

She was blindfolded and she could smell the strong scent of the duct tape covering her mouth. Her ankles were bound together and her hands were cuffed behind her back. Riley almost snorted at the irony; taken captive with her own cuffs...

As far as she could tell from the sounds and feel, she was on the floor of a van. The cold floor pressed against her and she realized that both her jacket and gun was gone. She scooted around, looking for her phone and badge.

They were gone.

Riley shuddered, not just from the cold, but also from the thought of the men searching through her pockets.

"I think she's waking up..." a voice came from above her.

Riley recognized the voice; it was the man who had called to her from the alley.

"So?" a deeper, biting voice came from what was probably the driver's seat.

The driver was definitely the one in charge. Riley could almost picture the first man wincing from the leader's tone.

"Just thought you should know," he replied with sigh.

Riley tested the ropes on her ankles, and sighed. They were too tight for her to wriggle out of, and even if she could, she couldn't escape with the man sitting near her.

The ride was bouncy and Riley was rolled across the floor several times. She tried to prop herself up, but the van hit a hard bump and she flew into something hard. Her back would definitely have a bruise...

The van stopped, and the engine died down. Riley twist her head, trying to hear what was going on. She heard a door open and someone jerked her up.

"Come on..." the voice belonged to the driver.

Riley was lifted off her feet and thrown roughly over the man's shoulder. Or maybe it was the partner; she couldn't tell...

She could hear the sounds of a street briefly before a door slammed and it was silent. The musty smell of an old building clouded Riley's nostrils as she was carried up a flight of stairs. She felt someone cut the ropes from around her ankles and she was lowered to the floor. She stood still as someone moved behind her and unlocked the cuffs. She rubbed her wrists and reached for the blindfold.

"Hold it!" the driver commanded.

Riley froze. She wanted to see her surroundings, but she didn't want to anger the men.

"Before you remove that," the man's voice was right in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "You promise not to run, because you _will _regret it..."

Riley nodded slowly and removed the blindfold. She pulled the duct tape off her mouth as she studied her captors.

The man she had seen in the alley was standing by the doorway. She could see that his eyes were gray, but they still seemed lively. His light brown hair was cut short and close to his head, almost military-style, and he was only a couple of inches taller than Riley.

She turned to see the driver and gasped. Memories flashed through her mind: the dead-looking brown eyes, the muscular build...

"Remember me?" the man smirked at Riley.

"You're Dirko's goon," Riley said quietly.

"Rocco, at your service," the man continued to smirk. "But everyone calls me Rocky... Maybe I look like Stallone, or something..."

"The hitman..." Riley gasped.

"You're smart," Rocco nodded at the man by the door. "That's Joey..."

"Good for him," the brunette muttered.

"Don't get smart," Rocco's dark eyes were suddenly serious.

"Should we be calling-" Joey was cut off as Rocco shot him a look.

"Shut it!" Rocco rolled his eyes. "Do you have problems finding good help?"

Riley looked at the man.

"You just kidnapped me," she said slowly. "And you're trying to make small talk?"

"I think we should get to know each other," Rocco's tone was low. "After all, we'll be together for a while..."

Riley frowned and looked around.

The dingy gray paint on the wall was peeling, and the window was painted over and locked. The only furniture in the room was a couple of wooden chairs and a table. The wooden door marked the only exit from the room.

"Why me?" Riley looked at Rocco.

"You got Dirko in jail," Rocco answered.

"What happened when we arrested Dirko?" Riley asked. "You disappeared..."

"I thought it would be better not to get involved," he replied casually. "Especially since I wouldn't have been able to solve the problem."

"How'd you find me?" the brunette pressed.

"Do you ever shut up?" Rocco rolled his eyes.

"I'm curious..."

"It wasn't hard," Rocco shrugged. "We used our people on the street to track you down. Just your description did the trick..."

"But_ why _me?" Riley frowned.

"Power," Rocco replied with a not-so-friendly smile. "We want Dirko out of jail, and you're our insurance."

Riley tried to calm her nerves, but the anxiety was slowly over-taking her. She couldn't help but wonder why they had taken her, or what she had done to anger them.

The only thing that eased the detective's mind was the thought that Flack would be looking for her. She hoped...

* * *

Flack stared at the items on his desk.

"What's that?" the young man frowned.

"Where'd you get this?" Flack asked, his voice tight.

"Some guy gave it to me," the young man replied. "Gave me twenty bucks to take it to 'Detective Flack' at the 12th precinct..."

"Do you remember what he looked like?" Flack asked.

"Yeah, I think so," the young man shrugged. "Why?"

Flack looked at the items again and felt his stomach sink.

Riley would never willingly give up her gun and badge; no cop ever would...

"These belong to a police officer," Flack said.

Flack followed his instinct and reached for his phone. He dialed a number he knew by heart and waited for an answer.

"_Detective Taylor,_" the familiar voice came over the phone.

"Mac, something's wrong," Flack said. "I think Riley's missing..."

* * *

**I know that this was more of a filler chapter, but it's necessary to the plot... And now it's time for our CSI team to step in, I think. xD  
**

**As I always: Let me know if you spot errors, and don't forget to review! :)**

**Kristy :3**


	13. Doing Our Jobs

**Time for another chapter! Hope everyone had a good Labor Day weekend! :)**

**Thank you to my wonderful reviewers: FanOfFiction22xx, writergirl219, SomebodyWhoCares, 2NYwLove, and earthling1970! I really do love you guys; you keep me going! The review count is over 30, and that blows my mind... Thanks again! xD**

**Disclaimer: Any and all recognizable characters of _CSI:NY_ still belong to CBS. I still own my OC's and my plot. :)**

* * *

Mac Taylor stood at the head of the conference table. Flack was to the right of Mac, with Danny sitting by his side. Across the table, Sheldon and Adam were staring intently at Mac. Jo Danville hurried into the room at sat at the other end of the table, next to Lindsay. There was an air of urgency in the room.

"Here's what we've got," Mac said, gesturing to the three evidence bags on the table. "Riley's phone, gun, badge and jacket. Lindsay, you process the phone."

"Right," Lindsay replied, reaching for the bagged phone.

"Danny, you'll take the badge," Mac continued. "And Sheldon, you process the gun."

The two men nodded, taking their assigned bags.

"What about me?" Adam leaned forward.

"You take her jacket," Mac said, handing him a larger evidence envelope.

"I'll help him," Jo offered.

"Good," Mac nodded. "If any of you find anything, call me right away."

"How long has she been gone?" Sheldon asked.

"About two hours, now," Flack said. "She was going down to Benny's."

"Benny's?" Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Benny Herman, the owner, called and said he needed her help," Flack replied.

"The young man who gave you the bundle," Mac said, looking at Flack. "Where is he?"

"Bobby Jenner, he's with a sketch artist as we speak," the blue-eyed detective replied. "He says he can identify the two men that gave him the bundle."

"Okay, someone needs to talk to Herman. We need to get a timeline..."

"I'll do it," Flack nodded and stood up.

"As of right now, a fellow detective is missing," Mac said, his tone serious. "We've got to work fast."

* * *

Riley sighed and kicked at the floor. Rocco and Joey had left her alone in the room, and after trying the door, she began to pace. She stared at the black paint covering the window and was hit with an idea.

Riley grabbed one of the wooden chairs by the legs. Taking a deep breath, she swung it with all her might. The chair crashed against the window and one of the legs broke off as a deep crack ran through the back of the chair. The impact jarred Riley and she fell back against the wall.

Cursing under her breath, Riley swung the chair again. Splinters flew off and Riley swung the chair yet again. Finally, the chair broke fully apart, but the window was left with just a slight scratch on the paint.

The door swung open and Joey rushed in, a gun in his hand. He glanced around the room and smirked when he saw the broken chair lying underneath the window. Riley backed up against the wall as Joey looked at her.

"Nice try..." he rolled his eyes. "You really think we'd leave you alone with a breakable window?"

Riley frowned as Joey left the room. She sunk down to the floor and ran a hand through her hair, wishing she had a hair tie.

The brunette looked around the room. It seemed so hopeless, but she couldn't give up. She just couldn't...

* * *

Danny stared at the badge.

He couldn't help but think about what he would do if he was in Flack's position. Flack seemed to be calm, but anyone who knew the detective, knew that he was ready to explode. Seeing the pain in his friend's eyes was hard on Danny; he wanted to reassure him that everything would be fine, but they both knew that there was a definite chance that it could end painfully...

Working quickly but thoroughly, Danny processed the badge and ran the prints he found.

"Aw, come on..." he groaned.

"Whatcha got?" Lindsay asking, walking into the lab.

"I found some prints," Danny replied. "But they all belong to Riley."

"Anything else?"

"No..." the Italian rubbed his eyes. "What about you?"

"Her phone was off," Lindsay said with a sigh. "And like the badge, the only prints on it were Riley's."

"Could it have been turned off by the goons that grabbed her?" Danny raised an eyebrow.

"I sent it to Adam," the young woman replied. "He and Jo are almost done with the jacket."

"Wonder how Sheldon's coming along..."

As if on cue, the doctor walked in, a frown on his face.

"I got nothing," Sheldon said. "You?"

"Nothing," the two detectives replied in unison.

"They must have worn gloves when they took her stuff," Sheldon shook his head. "These guys are smart..."

* * *

"C'mon, c'mon..." Adam stared at the computer screen.

"You okay?" Jo glanced up from the table where she was examining the inside of the jacket.

"Almost all the prints came back to Riley," the lab tech replied. "A few came back to Flack, too."

"Not surprising..." Jo smiled slightly.

"But I found a couple prints on the arm of the jacket," Adam continued. "From the position of the prints, it looks like someone grabbed her arm. I'm running them through AFIS now, but they're pretty much partials so it might take a while."

"I don't think we'll get much more from this jacket," the older detective said, narrowing her eyes. "Maybe Mac got something from the sketch artist..."

* * *

"How sure are you that this is what the man looked like?" Mac looked at Bobby Jenner.

"I'm almost positive," Bobby replied. "I got a really good look at him. I didn't see as much of the other man, but I still think I could recognize him."

"Good," Mac said with a nod. "You can go for now, but we'll be in contact with you soon."

"Glad I could help," Bobby said. "You know, I'm really sorry...If I'd known it was something like this, I never would've agreed to deliver the bundle. I mean, I like cops and I wouldn't get involved in hurting one..."

"It's a good thing you did, though," the detective assured. "You've been more helpful that some would have been."

Bobby nodded slowly and gave Mac a small smile.

* * *

Mac walked into the interrogation room, the sketches in a folder under his arm. He moved to sit at the table, across from Orlando Bennett.

"What's going on?" Orlando frowned

Mac took out the two sketches and set them on the table.

"Who are they?" Mac asked, keeping his face and tone emotionless.

"Looks like Rocky and Joey, why?"

"We have reason to believe they kidnapped a homicide detective," Mac replied.

"I knew it," Orlando said in a quiet voice. "Those two detectives were gettin' too close to Dirko..."

"You're saying Ronnie Dirko's involved in this?"

"Who else would be...?"

"'Rocky' and 'Joey'," Mac said. "What are their full names?"

"Rocco DiMutti and Joey Thurston," Orlando replied. "They've both been arrested for possession before..."

* * *

"C'mon already!" Adam cried out in exasperation.

"Easy, Adam..." Jo soothed.

"Why does this have to be so slow?" Adam grumbled.

"I've got something to speed it up," Mac said as he walked briskly into the lab. "Run the prints against 'Rocco DiMutti' and 'Joey Thurston'. Their prints are in the system..."

Adam obeyed and compared the prints from the jacket to the prints on file for DiMutti and Thurston. A match came up for Rocco DiMutti.

"So it was DiMutti that actually grabbed Riley..." Adam said quietly.

"And Jenner put them together," Jo added.

"The question is," Mac said, his eyes fixed on the screen. "Where are they now?"

* * *

**I think they're getting closer to finding her... And the team's workin'! :)  
**

**Spot an error? Like what you read? Let me know, and don't forget to review! xD**

**Kristy :3**


	14. Getting Closer

**Here's an update! :) Due to some changes in my schedule, I've got a little more writing time. But my birthday's coming up, then I'll be looking for a part-time job, so I'm not sure how my fics will be affected... But let's take each bridge as they come! :)**

**Thank you to my awesome reviewers: SomebodyWhoCares, FanOfFiction22xx, and 2NYwLove... Love ya!**

**Disclaimer: If I said I owned Flack and Company, I'd be lying. So, I'll be honest and admit they're not mine. But Riley and the other OC's are mine...**

* * *

Flack's knuckles were slowly turning white as he gripped the steering wheel. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, but his mind kept picturing Riley, alone and afraid. He hoped and prayed that she was simply being delayed, but he knew it wasn't possible...

"C'mon!" Flack called angrily at the thick traffic.

He hadn't even reached Benny's yet, and who knew how long their conversation would take...

* * *

"Adam, please tell me you've got something on our suspects..." Jo said as she walked into the lab.

"I pulled their files," the lab tech replied, bringing the said files up onto the plasma. "They were both arrested for drug possession and served their sentences. They were released at about the same time, then kinda dropped off the map."

"From what Bennett gave us," Jo said, walking closer to the screen. "We can assume they went to work for Dirko, probably right after they got out. He seems to favor the convicts..."

"But we've got no way to tell where they are now..." Adam sighed. "What do-I mean...you think Riley's okay?"

"She's a fighter," the detective replied, her dark eyes filling with confidence. "And we're going to find her..."

* * *

Mac walked into the interrogation room and and sat down at the table. Ronnie Dirko glanced at him, an arrogant smirk plastered across his face. Mac silently opened his folder and set a photo of Riley on the table, sliding it toward Dirko.

"Cute chick," Dirko said. "Seems like I've seen her recently..."

Mac ignored the comment and continued, setting down photos of DiMutti and Thurston.

"Who are they?" Dirko raised an eyebrow in mock confusion.

Mac's patience was being pushed to the limit, but when he spoke, his voice betrayed no emotion.

"They're your men," the detective said. "We've got evidence to prove it."

At Mac's words, Dirko frowned and his eyes narrowed.

"And we know they have her," Mac continued, gesturing to the photo of Riley.

"Hope they're having fun..."

Dirko smirked again, his intense gray eyes focused on Mac.

"Where is she?" Mac asked, meeting Dirko's gaze with his own cold stare.

"I don't have her," Dirko replied with a shrug.

"Your men have her, and they're acting on your orders."

"Can you prove that?"

"You're already facing prison," the detective continued. "Why add to your sentence?"

"This is all hypothetical, of course," Dirko said in a low voice. "But if I did have my men kidnapped the cop, I certainly wouldn't tell you where she is. Because hypothetically, I would have several places prepared, so that even if I wanted to tell you where she is, I couldn't..."

"You've got nothing to gain," Mac replied.

"Don't I?" Dirko retorted coldly. "Surely you would understand leverage..."

* * *

Flack walked into Benny's Bar and Grill. He moved straight for the bar and caught Benny's eye. Benny Herman was easy to spot in a crowd. He was a shorter man, and easily three hundred pounds.

"Whatcha need, Don?" Benny grinned at him, his hazel eyes twinkling.

"Have you seen Riley today?" Flack asked.

"Naw, can't say that I have," Benny scratched at his receding gray hairline. "Why?"

"Didn't you wonder why she didn't show?" Flack raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?" Benny frowned. "I don't expect you guys till after your shift..."

"You called her," the detective said slowly. "Said you needed help?"

"No, I didn't," Benny replied. "She say I did?"

"Yeah," Flack frowned. "And the phone call came from here; our lab guys checked..."

"Coulda been anybody," the bartender said. "The phone's free for anyone to use."

Flack groaned and rubbed his eyes as the realization hit. It was all a set-up...

"What's going on?" Benny leaned over the bar. "Something wrong with Riley?"

"She's gone missing," Flack replied, his voice low. "I can't tell you too much, but it's not good."

"Oh, no!" Benny gasped.

Flack was about to reply when his phone rang. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID.

"Got something, Mac?" Flack spoke quickly.

"_You'd better get back to the lab,_" the detective answered.

"Why?" Flack asked. "What happened?"

"_Just get back as quick as you can,_" Mac replied.

"Be right there," Flack said, hanging up. "I'll be in touch, Benny..."

The bartender nodded solemnly as Flack walked out.

* * *

Flack walked into the A/V lab. Adam and Sheldon were sitting at the computer, with Mac and Jo right behind them. All four CSI's wore a sober expression.

"What's going on?" Flack asked, moving to stand between Mac and Jo.

"Someone just dropped off a DVD with a note," Mac said, pointing to a photo on the screen.

Flack looked at it and felt his stomach sink.

"_Flack, we hope you enjoy this video of your girlfriend..._" Flack read aloud, his hands clenching into fists.

"We processed them and we're just about to play the DVD," Sheldon said.

"We thought you should be here," Adam added quietly.

Flack nodded and Adam started the DVD.

On the screen, Riley sat in a wooden chair, her dark eyes firmly fixed on the camera.

"_Read it_," a voice came from behind the camera.

"_I...no_." Riley shook her head.

The camera turned away and the team heard a sickening crack of flesh against flesh. Flack's blood ran cold as the camera returned to focus on Riley, and he saw blood slowly trickling out her nose. Riley brushed the blood away and stared at someone behind the camera.

"_Let's try again,_" the voice said.

"_I am fine,_" Riley said, her voice flat and her eyes filled with anger. "_But if you do not listen to these men...they'll kill me. They want you to find a way to release Dirko. They know that you have the resources to ensure that he is not prosecuted._"

"_Very good,_" the voice praised mockingly as the camera turned to face a wall. "_Listen carefully detective, we will kill her if our requests are not fulfilled. And rest assured, it will not be quick and painless..._"

The screen went black.

Mac watched as Flack frowned and turned away from the screen. The younger detective sighed and walked out of the lab. Jo glanced at Mac before following Flack.

Sheldon stared intently at the blank screen, an idea forming in his mind.

"Hawkes?" Adam looked at his friend. "You're thinking something important..."

"Did you hear the background noise in the video?" Sheldon asked slowly. "In the silence right after the man...hit Riley?"

"Run it again," Mac said.

Adam furiously typed at the keyboard. He quickly isolated the portion of the video, and edited out everything but the background noise.

"Sounds like..." Sheldon tilted his head. "A trash truck...?"

"One with engine problems," Mac added. "You can hear the engine's about to give out..."

"We've got a malfunctioning trash truck," Adam said, a puzzled look on his face. "Can we use that for a location?"

"That video was taken in the past five hours," Mac said. "And we can bet they've still got her in New York City..."

"So we find the records from all the trash companies," Sheldon said, continuing from where Mac left off. "And find the trucks that put in for repairs, then trace their routes. But how do we know what time to look for?"

"Her watch!" Adam exclaimed.

Both Mac and Sheldon looked at Adam, startling by the lab tech's sudden outburst.

"When she wiped at her nose, you could see her watch," he explained. "If I can clean up the image, we may be able to get a time..."

"Do it," Mac nodded. "I'll get a list of trash companies, then Sheldon, you and I will pull the records."

* * *

Jo slowly approached Flack. The younger detective was staring out at the city, one arm braced against the glass window.

"Flack?" Jo asked. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know..." the blue-eyed detective admitted with a sigh. "I'm worried about her..."

"She's quite the girl," Jo said with a small smile. "I'm sure she's going to be okay."

"But what if she's not?" Flack asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"They're just making a desperate threat," Jo said, placing her hand on his arm. "We'll catch them."

"If anything happens to her, I don't know what I'll do..."

Jo looked at Flack. She could see the raw pain in his eyes, and how hard he was trying to cover it up. She'd read his file, and how he'd lost Jessica Angell. Losing one partner was bad enough, but she had been so much more to him...

Flack's mind was flickering back to Jess; how he'd listened over the phone as the shots rang out, how he'd gone numb when he saw her lying in her own blood, the feeling of helplessness when the nurse came out and said how sorry she was...

"I can't lose someone else," Flack said firmly.

"You won't..." Jo assured.

* * *

**So maybe I have a favorite of the CSI's... _*cough...Adam...cough*_ And they should be finding Riley within the next couple of chapters. I will also try to have more of Danny and Lindsay in the next chapter or two. I've kind of abandoned them in this chapter... :/  
**

**Break out the party supplies! This fic has reached 20,000 words! Woohoo! xD**

**If you spotted any or errors, feel free to PM me. And don't forget to review if you liked what you read! :D**

**Kristy :3**


	15. Finally Found

**And here's another update! I have had a lot of extra writing time, but the problem has been getting on to and posting an update... :( :P But, the next chapter should be coming soon, hopefully! :)**

**Thank you to my reviewers: FanOfFiction22xx and 2NYwLove! Let's see if we can get the review count up to 40, okay? ;) xD**

**Disclaimer: As you know, Flack is not mine (so sad...) and neither is the team, but I do own Riley. :)**

* * *

Riley sat in the corner, shivering against the cold and drafty air. While her legs and feet were kept warm by her jeans and Converse, she was left without a jacket and the cold air seemed to soak right through her shirt. After shooting the video, Joey had re-tied her ankles and handcuffed her hands behind her back.

Riley frowned. She knew she could stay warmer if she could use her hands in front of her, but the cuffs prevented that. Unless...

The detective twisted so she was laying on her side. Pulling her feet as close to her wrists as she could, she tried to slip her hands around her feet. She felt the cold metal biting into her wrists as she forced her feet even closer. Taking a deep breath and biting back a groan, she managed to loop her wrists up and over her feet. Rolling onto her backside, she brought her hands over her knees and into her lap.

Riley's wrists were red and raw from where the cuffs had rubbed against them, and her back was beginning to ache. As she looked at her wrists, she noticed her watch. It read 2:43. Riley briefly wondered why the kidnappers had left her watch, but shrugged it off. A plain watch like hers wouldn't make much of an identification...

Riley wrapped her arms back around her knees as she huddled in the corner. Picturing Flack and the team, she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep.

* * *

"I've checked five of the companies," Lindsay said. "And there's three trucks that needed some sort of engine repair. They just finished sending me the routes."

"I've got one truck out of the three I checked," Sheldon replied. "I've got the route, so all we need is a time from Adam."

Lindsay nodded, glanced at Mac's office. He stood by his desk, frowning as he spoke into the phone.

"I've got the time!" Adam burst into the lab, waving a printout in his hand.

"What is it?" Sheldon said, feeling a surge of hope.

"1:27," the lab tech said, handing the printout to Sheldon.

"Well, that cancels out one of mine," Lindsay announced. "It was brought in at 1:15."

"At 1:15, mine was working a stretch of bodegas on Third," Sheldon said.

"They wouldn't keep her somewhere that crowded..." Adam frowned.

"I've got two left," Lindsay said, looking at the list. "Let's see...one was near a couple of warehouses on 38th and the other was at an apartment complex over on 18th..."

"Warehouses?" Sheldon looked at Lindsay. "Bring that one up on the plasma."

Lindsay nodded and within seconds, the trash truck route was on the screen. Sheldon moved closer and stared at the route.

"They've got her in an old warehouse," the doctor said slowly.

"Talk about cliché..." Adam said, his face and tone serious.

* * *

The main office of the 12 precinct was abuzz. Officers and detectives moved quickly about, carrying files and leading prisoners. Flack sat at his desk, silently paging through the files on DiMutti and Thurston that Mac had sent over. He didn't know much about the science side of police work, but he wanted to be there in the lab, working to find Riley.

Flack sighed as he picked up his phone. He slowly scrolled through pictures, until he reached a particular one. One that made his heart ache...

In the photo, he and Riley were standing in front of the Unisphere. Flack had his arms wrapped around Riley's waist, and she was pushing at his shoulders. Her eyes were closed and she was laughing, and Flack was grinning as he pressed his lips to her cheek. He remembered the afternoon the picture was taken...

_Flack and Riley walked up to the Unisphere. Riley grinned as she stared up at the statue._

_ "I love this place," she said. "It's so...beautiful, I guess..."_

_ Flack smiled as he pulled out his phone._

_ "Y'know, we've only got a couple good pictures," he began. "Of us together, I mean."_

_ "Well, take one!"_

_ "Just a sec..."_

_ Flack walked up to a man that stood nearby. Riley watched as he spoke briefly with the man, then handed over his phone. Flack started to return, but turned back to the man. They spoke for a few more seconds, then the detective walked back to Riley, a grin slowly spreading across his face._

_ "Ready?" the man asked._

_ Flack moved to stand right next to Riley, then nodded at the man._

_ "In three," the man said. "Three, two..."_

_ Flack suddenly grabbed Riley around the waist and pulled her against him. She pushed at him as he leaned over and kissed her cheek._

_ "Don Flack!" Riley laughed._

_ Flack grinned and tightened his hold on her._

_ "Got it!" the man called._

_ Flack released Riley and walked back over to the man. They spoke for a moment as the man returned Flack's phone._

_ "Thanks again," Flack called over her his shoulder as he returned to Riley._

_ "You..." Riley grinned and shook her head._

Flack jumped as his phone began to ring.

"Flack," he answered.

"_Don, I think we've got a location,_" Mac said quickly. "_Get over to the lab._"

"I'll be right there..." Flack stood up.

* * *

Flack rushed into the lab. Danny and Mac stood near the big screen, and Lindsay, Adam and Sheldon sat at the computers.

"Whatcha got?" Flack asked, looking at the screen.

"Long story short, we used the video of Riley to get a location," Adam said.

"There are two warehouses that they could be holding her in," Sheldon explained.

"The smaller one isn't in use," Danny added. "But a company is interested in it, so we got the blueprints from them."

"It's only two stories," Mac said. "And recent photos show that most of the hallways and stairwells are blocked off."

"What are we waiting for?" Flack moved toward the door. "Let's go..."

* * *

Riley jumped up as the door swung open. Rocco stormed in, a wild look in his eye.

"They got Joey!" he boomed. "They're coming up and your partner's leading the charge..."

"I told you they'd find me," Riley retorted, finding confidence in the news that Flack was coming.

Rocco took a step toward her, his eyes narrowing menacingly. Riley felt the wall behind her, and got ready to run for the door.

She never got the chance.

Rocco swung his fist into her jaw, sending her to the floor.

"Too bad they're too late..." he growled as he pulled her back up.

Riley tried to block the next punch, but Rocco was too fast. The blow glanced along her forehead, whipping her head around.

* * *

Flack and Danny moved swiftly along the hallway, checking each room. The two detectives froze as they heard a woman crying out, followed by a loud thud.

"Riley!" they called, running toward the noise.

Flack reached the open doorway first.

Riley was on the floor, and Rocco delivered a swift kick to her side.

"NYPD!" Flack yelled, pointing his gun at Rocco. "Freeze!"

Rocco barely glanced at Flack.

"I said, freeze!" the detective repeated.

Rocco pulled his foot back, this time aiming for Riley's head. Quickly holstering his gun, Flack flew into Rocco, slamming him up against the wall. Rocco swung at Flack, but the detective ducked and drove his fist into Rocco's stomach. The man doubled over and Flack pushed him to his knees.

"What part of 'freeze' don't you get?" Flack hissed.

Danny rushed in, his gun drawn. He moved over to take ahold of Rocco.

His heart about to beat out of his chest, Flack knelt beside Riley.

"Riley..." Flack's voice was almost a whisper.

In response, she groaned and rolled her head slightly. Flack felt his stomach lurch as her face came into view. The man had certainly left his mark...

Riley's bottom lip had a nasty-looking split, and she had a deep cut above her left eyebrow. There was a large bruise forming on her right cheek and under her eye, and her nose was bleeding heavily.

"Riley..." the blue-eyed detective repeated as he cradled her head. "Hey, it's Don... Come on, open your eyes. Please, Riley, do it for me..please..."

Flack gently tried to keep the blood away from her eyes, but the cut on her forehead seemed to have other plans. The brunette groaned and her hand moved to clutch her side. Her eyes slowly opened, and Flack felt his heart wrench at the fear that was still present in her eyes.

"Don..." she said, the blood garbling her voice.

"I'm here, Ri," Flack replied quickly as he brushed the hair out of her face. "Take it easy..."

"I got this guy," Danny said. "Get Riley to a hospital."

Flack nodded and carefully took Riley in his arms.

"Hang on," he said in a low voice. "You're gonna be okay..."

* * *

**And she's found! Woohoo! :) The next couple of chapters will be more Flack/Riley stuff, and then we'll see where it goes from there. :)  
**

**As always, let me know if you see an error and don't forget to review! :)**

**Kristy :3**


	16. Slowly Recovering

**So sorry for the wait on this one! Life has been...I'm not even going to go there. _*sigh*_ :P I'm not going to make any promises about when the next chapter will be. I am going to work on it as much as I can, though. :)**

**And my reviewers were awesome and got this fic to 40 reviews! :) Thanks to FanOfFiction22xx, SomebodyWhoCares, shellbell1012, and 2NYwLove! Love ya! :)**

**Disclaimer: Riley is mine. She should have a little tag that says 'Property of Kristy (and Flack...)' But Flack and company? Not mine.**

* * *

Flack sat in the waiting room, nervously wringing his hands. The doctors were working with Riley, and it'd been just over an hour since she arrived. Riley had been almost completely unconscious when he brought her in.

"Any word?" Jo asked as she walked into the room.

"Not yet," Flack replied.

Jo nodded slowly and sat beside Flack, putting her arm around his shoulders.

"Where's Mac?" Flack asked.

"Processing where they kept her," the older detective replied. "Danny and Lindsay are with him."

"You think they-" Flack cut himself off, his hands beginning to shake. "I mean, they had plenty of opportunity to-"

"I can't say," Jo said slowly. "We'll have to ask her..."

"Great..." Flack sighed and rubbed his eyes.

Sheldon walked into the waiting room and looked around.

"How's Riley?" he asked.

When Flack shrugged, Sheldon frowned and took a seat.

Flack was fighting back his rage. He'd looked into DiMutti's eyes, much like he had with Cade. He knew what DiMutti was capable of doing, and what he might have done to Riley... Were it not for Danny, he could've wrung the man's neck.

And that scared him.

Flack's mind was becoming a frenzy of Riley, and memories of Jess; the similarities were blending together. How he'd found them, how he'd waited, how he'd lost Jess... He couldn't let that happen to Riley; he couldn't let history repeat itself...

* * *

Flack jumped out of his seat when the doctor entered the waiting room.

"How is she?" the detective asked.

"She's stable," the doctor replied. "She's taken a beating, but there's no major injuries."

"Any sign of sexual assault?" Flack asked.

"Not that we saw, no," the doctor said.

All three investigators breathed a sigh of relief.

"We'll still have to ask," Jo said slowly.

"Is she conscious?" Sheldon asked.

"Very," the doctor replied with a frown. "She's giving us a little bit of trouble."

"How much?" Jo asked.

"She's not letting us work with her, refusing medication, calling for a 'Don'..."

Flack looked at the doctor. He needed to get in there with Riley. He needed to talk to her...

"Let me see her," the detective said.

"Are you-"

"I'm Don Flack, her partner," Flack interrupted.

"At this point, we can only allow family," the doctor said.

"He's as close to family as you're going to get," Sheldon spoke up.

"I can get her calmed down..." Flack said quietly. "Just let me see her."

The doctor looked at Flack. After a moment, he sighed and nodded.

* * *

Flack walked into the room and felt his heart wrench.

Riley was sitting on the bed, her back to the door. Her clothes had been taken, and she was now in a hospital gown. She was rubbing her arms and Flack could see that she was breathing fast. A cute blonde nurse was in the room, examined a small chart.

"Ma'am," the nurse said as she approached the bed. "If you'll just take these-"

"I don't need meds," Riley interrupted. Flack winced at how raw her voice sounded.

"But ma'am," the nurse pressed. "You need to-"

"I'm fine," Riley snapped.

Flack watched as the nurse reached out to take hold of Riley's arm.

"Just leave me alone!" the brunette cried, her voice breaking. "I don't need anything...!"

The nurse backpedaled as Riley swung her arm at her. Flack caught the nurse's eye and motioned for her to come over to him.

"I've got her," he said in a low voice. "You can go."

"But she's..." the nurse's voice trailed off as she glanced back at Riley.

"It's okay," Flack assured. "I can handle her."

The nurse looked at Flack before finally nodding. Flack gave her a small smile as she left the room. He turned back to look at Riley and took a deep breath. As he approached the bed, she buried her face in her hands and began to shake.

"Riley," the blue-eyed detective said softly.

"Don?" her voice was almost a whisper.

As her head came up and she turned to look at Flack, he felt his stomach twist.

"Oh, Ri..." Flack sighed.

Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, leaving her face in full view. The cut about her left eyebrow was cleaned and bandaged, and her nose had stopped bleeding. While her lip had also stopped bleeding, Flack could still see the cut. A bruise on her cheek was turning dark, and her wrists were red and raw.

He frowned as he remembered what he and Jo had discussed. He had to ask...

"Riley, I'm not exactly sure how to ask this, but I want to get it over with," he began. "The doctors said there was no sign, but we've got to know-" He cleared his throat. "-did Rocco or Joey assault you in anyway? I mean, sexually?"

"No," Riley said, slowly shaking her head. "They might've thought about it, but they never did..."

Flack breathed a sigh of relief and sat on the edge of the bed. He saw tears forming in Riley's eyes as she pulled her legs up to her chest. Moving slowly, he scooted across the bed until he was right next to her.

"I thought they were going to kill me..." Riley said, her voice lower.

"It's okay," Flack murmured as he put an arm around her shoulders.

Twisting to bury her face in Flack's chest, Riley couldn't hold back the tears. Flack fully wrapped his arms around her as she clung to him. The two detectives sat that way for several minutes.

"I've got you, Ri," Flack soothed, slowly stroking her hair. "You're safe now..."

Riley breathing in Flack's familiar scent, absorbing his warmth as she sobbed into his chest.

"I-I thought I was going to die," she choked out. "He kept hitting and hitting..."

"I know," Flack said, his voice muffled by her hair. "I know..."

After several more minutes, Riley pulled back enough to look Flack in the eye.

"Don, I want to go home," she said slowly. "I want out of here."

"Hawkes is working on it," Flack replied. "He's got some connections."

Riley nodded and looked at her hands. Flack moved to take her hand, frowning as he saw the raw skin on her wrist. He gently ran his fingers over her wrist, pulling back as she winced.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay..." Riley gave him a small smile. "I just want to go home."

The brunette let out a shaky sigh and leaned against Flack.

"You know, it's probably not a good idea for you to go home alone," he said.

"I'm don't want to stay here," Riley replied.

"You don't have to," Flack continued. "I can stay with you, if you want. I mean, it would only have to be for a few days. Until you get settled back in..."

"Would you?" Riley asked in a small voice, turning to to look up at him.

Flack looked Riley in the eye and he felt his heart wrench again. He had never seen this much pain and fear in her eyes...

"Of course I will," he replied. "Tell you what, I'll go get a bag together from my apartment. I can swing by your place for a change of clothes for you."

"That'd probably be a good idea," Riley nodded.

"You've got some people waiting to see you," the blue-eyed detective continued. "Ready for some visitors?"

"I think so..." Riley took a deep breath.

* * *

Jo walked into Riley's room. The brunette was still sitting on the bed, but she was turned to face the door. Jo walked over and gave Riley a small hug before sitting beside her on the bed.

"Hey, Riley," Jo said. "How're you doing?"

"I'm okay, now..." Riley gave the older detective a small smile.

Jo nodded. She studied the younger woman a moment before speaking. She knew Flack had a lot on his mind, but she wanted him to be the one to tell Riley.

"Flack was really worried about you," the older detective said. "We all were, but you could tell he was really torn up..."

"I missed him," Riley admitted.

"You should've seen Adam," Jo grinned. "He was working so hard. He's one of the reason's we found you so quickly."

"He's a good guy, Even if he is scared of Mac sometimes..."

"I think everybody gets scared of Mac at some point."

"Good point," Riley let out a small laugh.

Jo smiled at the sound. She knew Riley was strong, but after being held hostage, the detective was definitely shaken up. Jo hoped that Flack could help her recover from the shock.

Adam poked his head in the room and knocked on the door.

"Can I come in?" the lab tech asked.

"Of course!" Riley nodded and waved him in.

Adam walked in and looked at Riley.

"You don't look as bad as I thought you would," he blurted. "I mean, not that you would look bad, but when they said you were beaten up, I had all these pictures in my head and they weren't pretty. Because when you think about the guy, DiMutti, and what he's done before, it's kinda scary. So it's really good to see that you're okay, and I just want to give you a hug...Can I?"

Jo chuckled as Riley's jaw dropped.

"Uh, sure," the brunette finally said. "I mean, I guess I do have you to thank for the rescue..."

Adam grinned and wrapped his arms around Riley. She winced at the slight pain in her side, but still tried to return the lab tech's grin.

"It wasn't just me," he said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "Everybody at the lab was working as hard as they could."

"I believe it," Riley replied. "So how'd you find me?"

Adam cleared his throat and began to explain how the CSI's had used the video to track her down. As Adam continued to speak in his rapid tone, Riley glanced at Jo, who gave her a small smile. The brunette was still shaken up, but the lab tech's rambling was obviously lifting her spirits. Adam had a way of lightening any atmosphere...

Just as Adam was finishing, Flack walked in, a small bag in his hand. He glanced at Adam and playfully raised an eyebrow.

"I saw Hawkes on my way in," the blue-eyed detective said. "He says Riley's cleared to go."

"Great," Riley said, her eyes lighting up. "Got my clothes?"

"Right here," he replied.

"Thanks..." Riley took the bag.

Jo and Adam stood up and walked to the door. They smiled at Riley one more time before they left. The two detectives looked at each other for a silent moment. Flack leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Riley's cheek.

"I'll be right outside when you're ready," he said.

* * *

**Poor Riley... She's going to need Flack for the next couple of days. :/**** And I just had to put Adam in... He's just so adorkable! xD  
**

**You know the drill: If you spot an error, let me know. If you liked what you read, leave a review.**

**Kristy :3**


	17. Coming Home

**Sorry this took so long... :( Life, bleah! Anyway, I may or may not be able to update regularly. But I will try my hardest... :) And yay, hockey season has started! If anyone that reads this is a hockey fan, feel free to message me. I love to talk hockey. Go, Preds and Rangers! xD  
**

**Thanks for the great reviews! _SomebodyWhoCares _and _2NYwLove,_ you guys are awesome! xD And yes, _2NYwLove_, I think Riley could use Gus... :)**

**Disclaimer: Riley is mine. She and the plot belong to me. That is all.**

* * *

Riley finished lacing up her Converse and walked out into the hall. Flack had grabbed her a pair of gym shorts that came just below her knee, and and a NYPD t-shirt.

Flack was leaning against the wall. When he saw Riley, he smiled and pushed off the wall.

"Lookin' good," he said, walking over to her. "Adam and Jo had to get back to the lab, and I think Sheldon's still yakking with another doc."

Riley nodded and followed Flack down the hall. When they reached the elevator, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to the back of her head. Riley sighed and leaned against Flack, as he played with a strand of her hair. Both of the detectives were thankful that the elevator was empty.

Flack wanted to hold Riley forever. He'd almost lost her and that, combined with the memories of Jess, was about to tear him apart. There was no doubt about the fact that they were getting serious, but they'd never actually talked about it. He wanted to bring it up, but decided to save it for a better time.

* * *

Riley walked into her apartment, with Flack right behind her. He set his bag near the couch and turned to watch as she walked into the kitchen. She shuffled over to the refrigerator and dug around for a bottle of water.

"Want something?" she called.

"I'm good," Flack replied as he sat on the edge of the couch.

Riley walked back into the living room, a half-empty water bottle in her hand. She flopped down next to Flack and pulled off her shoes. He leaned back and looked at her for several minutes. She was curled up against the arm rest, and as Flack watched, she downed the rest of the water and set the empty bottle on the coffee table.

Riley felt Flack move closer to her. She was tired, and the little pain medication she'd accepted was wearing off. There was a light pulsing in her forehead, and her side was beginning to ache. But still, she didn't want to be anywhere but with Flack.

As if he was reading her mind, Flack pulled Riley closer and held her, one arm around her shoulder and the other wrapped gently around her waist. As he began to rub her back in small circles, she sighed and relaxed against his chest.

"I'm gonna go to bed," Riley finally spoke.

"Okay," Flack said, standing with Riley. "Do you need anything?"

"I think I'm good," the brunette replied. "If you want something to eat, feel free to raid the fridge. If you need anything, help yourself to whatever you can find."

Flack nodded and walked Riley to her bedroom door. He stopped and looked Riley for a moment. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

"I'm here if you need me," he said in a low voice. "And don't forget to put bandages on your wrists..."

Riley nodded and slipped into her bedroom. Flack slowly walked back to the couch. With a sigh, he pulled off his tie and stretched out on the couch.

* * *

Flack swung his legs over the couch and sat up. He glanced at his watch and sighed. It read 3:06.

He had tried to sleep, but his mind was still in a frenzy. He had to have a talk with Riley soon, or he thought he'd lose his mind.

But how would she react?

Flack knew that he and Riley were getting serious and that she wouldn't deny it. But he didn't know if she would want to break it off, or try ot let it run its course...

"You should be sleeping," a voice broke Flack out of his thoughts.

"So should you," he replied, turning to look at Riley.

"Couldn't sleep..." She shrugged and walked over to the couch.

She was still wearing the gym shorts and NYPD tee, but her hair hung lose and she had wrapped her wrists. She sat beside Flack and studied his face for a moment.

"Are you going to talk to me?" Riley crossed her arms.

"What?" Flack froze.

"Something is bothering you, and I want to know what," she replied.

Flack felt his stomach twist. He'd tried to act normal, but she'd noticed...

"I don't-" the blue-eyed detective sighed. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just tired..."

"Bull," the brunette retorted.

Flack rubbed his face.

"If I was being quiet and pre-occupied, you wouldn't leave me alone until I told you everything," she continued. "Now, I know something is wrong with you. You're...not the Don Flack I'm used to."

"It's nothing," Flack lied. "We can talk about it later."

"No," Riley said. "I need you more than ever, Don. But if you're hurting, I can't..." she sighed. "If we're both hurting and refusing to talk, I don't know how we can heal..."

Flack took a deep breath and looked at Riley. She was pale, but her dark eyes were determined.

"I want know what's wrong," she said quietly. "Please, talk to me."

They stared at each other for several minutes, before Flack finally spoke.

"I'm scared, okay?" he said, closing his eyes and sighing. "I'm scared of losing you. When you were kidnapped, I was terrified. I can't go through it again; I can't lose someone I love..."

Riley looked at him. She speak, but no words would come.

"When we found you, I kept flashing back to Jess," Flack continued, his voice breaking. "I loved her, and I love you. If anything were to happen to you, I...I don't think I could go through it again. You're much more than a partner to me, Riley."

"Don, you haven't lost me," she said. "I'm still here."

"What about next time?" Flack looked at her. "I couldn't save Jess, and next time, I might not be able to save you. And that scares me! My emotions are a mess right now..."

Flack leaned forward, bracing his arms on his knees. Riley rubbed his shoulders and leaned her head against his back.

"I don't exactly have the best track record with relationships," Flack continued. "It's safe to say we're getting serious."

"It is," Riley replied in a small voice. "I'm not Jess, and I never will be; I would never want to replace her. But if you're willing to make this work, so am I..."

Flack turned to look at her. A mountain of relief washed over him as he looked her in the eyes. She understood, and she was willing to work through whatever issues that would come up.

"I don't want you to be a replacement," Flack said. "I'm in love with Riley Fallon, not a ghost. Please believe me when I say that..."

"I do," she said.

Flack wrapped his arms around Riley and buried his face in her hair.

"Ow," the brunette winced at the pain in her side.

"Sorry," Flack murmured and shifted his arms.

"So we're good?" Riley asked.

"We're good..." Flack replied.

* * *

**They finally had it out... Now that they've done that, maybe we can get a little more fluffiness... :)  
**

**As always, let me know if you saw an error and don't forget to review! :D**

**Kristy :3**


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